Bloodlines
by TanukiKun
Summary: Fate reveals another twist for the shard hunters. A mysterious seer is dropped into their laps, and her enemies become theirs. Kagome's powers begin to grow out of her control. Celtic mythology Xover w OC. Rarely updated... You have been warned.
1. Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

She didn't like it. Not one bit.

Since she first woke up that morning she had felt it creeping slowly into her consciousness, subtly encroaching on the edges of her awareness and distracting her from the simple task of pedaling. More than once she had paused in contemplation a little too long, very nearly toppling over due to lack of motion. This had not gone unnoticed by her companions, who looked at her with concern but little surprise. After all, none of them had managed to master that confounding contraption, or "bike," as she called it.

"Kagome chan?"

Her head snapped up to face the speaker; a young woman named Sango with long dark hair dressed in a simple yukata, an imposing boomerang taller than herself slung on her back. A small two tailed cat demon named Kirara trotted happily beside her, mewing occasionally. Sango's warm chocolate eyes inquired gently as Kagome met her gaze.

"What is it, Sango chan?" Kagome asked, silently reminding herself yet again to continue pedaling.

"Is everything alright?" Sango asked.

It was unlike Kagome to be so quiet and lost in thought. Everyone had noticed. Kagome was undisputedly one of the main conversationalists of the group, brightening their travels with her cheerful chatter. Since she fell quiet, a hush had fallen over the group, growing more awkward and uncomfortable by the minute.

"I'm fine," Kagome replied, "It's just…" she trailed off and frowned, trying to find the words to explain, "I feel like something's coming…like something's about to happen…something big," she finished lamely.

A silver canine ear ticked back in her direction as she spoke, the hanyou it belonged to gazed at Kagome over his shoulder. "You mean like a demon?" he asked, sniffing the air, searching for any traces of anything unusual or dangerous, and finding only the scents of his companions, the approaching nightfall, and the scent of the girls' menstrual blood. He stifled a groan as he scented the latter. _They're always so damn touchy when they bleed._

"Feh! You're imaginin' things, Kagome. There's nothin' here," the brash young hanyou replied.

Kagome frowned at his back, "I am NOT imagining things, Inuyasha!" she shot back, "This has been nagging at me for DAYS now."

His ears flattened with irritation at her tone. "You're just pissy 'cause you're bleedin'," he answered without so much as a backward glance, "We'll set up camp soon, so just get a grip, already."

Kagome froze, her mouth hanging open in shock. Slowly, her face purpled with rage, mortified that he would _announce_ something like that, "OSUWARI!" she shouted at him, activating the subduing spell which the miko Kaede, had placed on Inuyasha when they first met. The hanyou boy tensed instantly, preparing for what he knew was coming. The Shinto prayer beads around Inuyasha's neck flickered with an orchid light for a split second before the spell slammed him face first into the dirt. It was several seconds before it allowed him to stand and brush the dirt from his bright red clothing. He glared at Kagome as she glared fiercely down at him from where she sat partially astride the bike. Seeing her anger he clenched his jaw tight, clamping down on the string of curses that came to mind. _Oh yeah, definitely touchy._

Shippo, the young kitsune youkai rolled his large green eyes as his red bushy tail twitched, "What an idiot," he mumbled.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What'd you say, runt?" growled as he towered over the smart mouthed kit, his hand clenched into a fist.

Shippo whimpered and ducked behind Kagome's leg, looking up to her with big "innocent" eyes.

"Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, O S U W A R I ! ! !" Kagome shouted again as she wheeled her bike around and began to pedal furiously down the path, leaving the silver haired hanyou in the crater that her repeated commands had caused. "Serves you right!" she hollered back at him.

Inuyasha growled where he lay, struggling against the spell which held him against his will. A sigh caught his attention. Straining his eyes upward he saw that the monk Miroku had come to stand in front of him, and was looking down at him with a look that was pure schadenfreude. "What are we going to do with you, Inuyasha?" he mocked in a fatherly tone.

"Shut up, Miroku! Nobody asked you!" he growled as the spell left him. He peeled himself off the ground slowly, "Dammit! What'd she do that for?" he shouted angrily, rolling his neck to shake out the tingle of magick that lingered there.

Sango turned a fierce glare in his direction. Inuyasha actually flinched at the fire in the taijiya's eyes. _Maybe touchy isn't a strong enough word_.

"You're lucky that's all you got!" she snarled, "I would have turned you inside out and left you for the crows!"

Miroku sighed again, "Inuyasha," he began sagely, "You must surely know that _that_ is a subject which the fairer sex is fond of neither acknowledging nor discussing."

"So what?" Inuyasha shouted, "She's makin' a big deal outta nothin'!"

Sango shot him a scathing look, "It's not nothing! You humiliated her!" She spat angrily, "You go apologize to her right now!"

"Apologize?" Inuyasha exploded back, "She's the one who should apologize! I didn't do nothin'!"

"Yeah, well she obviously doesn't see it that way!" the taijiya quipped, "And if you want her to say a single word to you besides "osuwari" between here and the well, you'll go and apologize!"

Inuyasha growled softly in frustration. Sango was right. Kagome could hold a grudge for ages if she really wanted to, and only two or three days travel lay between them and the ancient, dilapidated well that served as a portal between Japan's warring states era and twenty first century Tokyo.

_Dammit! She just got back from that stupid time of hers_. Inuyasha's ears drooped piteously.

Without another word, he stood and bounded away in the direction that Kagome had gone. He followed her scent. Miroku and Sango watched him go.

Sango, still frowning, shook her head disapprovingly, "I don't know what Kagome chan sees in him," she said with a sigh. Miroku nodded in agreement as they both stood without speaking, watching their hanyou friend's retreating back. Miroku's right hand slipped deftly behind the shapely demon slayer, and began to gently caress her posterior.

"You LETCH!" Sango hollered and slapped the amorous monk with all her might.

"Idiot" muttered Shippo.

oOo

Inuyasha bounded through the forest, a streak of red and silver amidst the verdant foliage, grumbling at his misfortune and wondering just how many times Kagome would "osuwari" him before all this was over. He leapt through the trees, rocketing into a large clearing marked by a gigantic grey stone which towered above the tops of the trees; almost like someone had broken a chunk off of a mountain and hurled into the middle of a forest for no apparent reason. Kagome was leaning against the oversized formation, her arms crossed over her chest and her bicycle flung unceremoniously on the ground. He landed noisily next to her, both relieved and anxious that he'd found her. She gasped in surprise and turned to him.

"Uh...?" Inuyasha started awkwardly.

Kagome's expression hardened, "What do you want, Inuyasha?" she hissed, furious.

Inuyasha scowled, biting back a sharp retort. He folded his arms across his chest and turned his head away, "Look, can we just forget this and go back?" He spat.

The school girl rounded on him, eyes flashing dangerously in her anger, "Forget this? FORGET THIS?" she shouted at the top of her lungs, hurting Inuyasha's sensitive ears, "I tell you something's bothering me, and you blame it on my period! I can't believe you said that, Inuyasha, especially in front of Shippo!"

Inuyasha snorted, "You think he can't smell it?"

"OSUWARI!"

Kagome seethed as she watched Inuyasha kiss the dirt before her.

"I was mortified, Inuyasha! How could you do that to me?" Tears of righteous anger and frustration threatened to spill.

The spell released him, but he didn't stand. He didn't know what to say. He just sat there looking stupid, stunned as much by Kagome's outburst as by her tears. He made her cry.

_Dammit…_

"Kagome…" his voice was softer now. "Don't be mad…" He looked up at her, his ears drooping, "Just…come back."

Inuyasha looked pitiful. Every muscle in his body was tensed, as if he wanted more than anything to just run away. His dejected expression told her more than his words had. Kagome paused. She shouldn't let him off the hook for this one. She really shouldn't. He had humiliated her, and he couldn't even say he was sorry. But apologies had always been difficult for him…

Kagome sighed. Her pride could take another one for the team. "Fine," she said quietly as she gathered her pack and mounted her bike, "But you owe me, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha walked beside her as she pedaled slowly all the way back to camp.

oOo

That night, Kagome had a difficult time falling asleep, as the nagging foreboding feeling had intensified as the night wore on. She puzzled over it until exhaustion forced her eyes closed, and she began to dream.

_Kagome blinks and finds herself standing in a patch of streaming sunlight. Judging by the angle of the shadows cast by the surrounding trees it's still very early; just past daybreak. She smiles in appreciation of the warmth that seeps over her face, melting away the chill of the night. A twinge in her consciousness draws her eyes eastward. She needs to go that way. There's something there that she needs to see._

_Kagome walks silently through the forest, drawn by an irresistible pull, each step bringing her closer to her unknown destination. She steps out of the trees and a clearing stretches out before her, the grass rippling in the cool morning breeze. An enormous grey stone juts up from the earth, dominating the landscape and towering over the trees. Kagome blinks as she recognizes the clearing to be the same one she had stumbled into earlier. The morning sunshine filters through the trees, pooling invitingly on the ground._

"_What foolisssshness is this?"_

_The rasping whisper matches the malevolent youki that rakes unpleasantly against Kagome's aura. She suppresses a shudder and turns to the creature responsible: A serpent youkai lies gleaming on the grass, the morning dew glistening on his burnished scales. Opaque venom drips from its ivory fangs, sizzling in the grass as it falls. A spider demon stands opposite him, meeting his enraged glare with a look of amused disinterest. The morning light flashes on its armor-like hide. The black, hairy spider's body does not match its human-looking head. Its face is that of a beautiful young woman framed by long black hair that sweeps to the ground and cloaks its inhuman limbs in a wave of dark silk. The spider brushes a lock out of its eyes with a soft, human looking hand, revealing patterns of ivory and cherry blossom pink decorate the spider's chest; mimicking a luxurious kimono. Kagome notes with alarm that from a certain angle the demon would appear to be a stunning young woman and not the monster she is._

"_Now, now," the spider sighs, her entrancing voice resonating softly in the open air, "There is no need to be offended. Had I known you would take it so personally I wouldn't have bothered."_

"_What you ssay makess no ssensse, web weaver," the snake demon softly hisses, "What good iss venom that doess not kill?"_

_The spider youkai pouts prettily, "But your venom snuffs out your prey's existence so quickly you don't even have time to enjoy it." A vicious smile parts the spider's ruby lips, revealing a row of equally vicious looking pointed teeth. "My venom incapacitates them. They always struggle so prettily, but their eyes are so lovely once they've finally accepted their fate!" _

"_I have no desssire to break the ssspirit of my prey." The serpent replies disinterestedly, "Its fear sssatisfiess me. The horror in itss eyess when it ssseess my coilss around it with no chancssse of esscape. Itss ssscreamss of terror are exhilarating, and even in death itss facssse is twissted in fear and pain!"_

"_But then why does your kind regurgitate your prey and devour it once again?" the spider asks, blinking its large dark eyes, "Surely the terror of living prey is preferable to a frozen expression on a corpse. My venom renders prey unconscious so that I may weave my webs unhindered. They awake bound and utterly helpless and so confused. And their eyes once they finally realize what I am! Why, some of them even look as though they were betrayed!" the youkai exclaims with a girlish giggle, "Poor things," the spider mocks, "They are always willing to help the unfortunate onna who lost her way in the woods, and so eager to take advantage of her charms," she smirks broadly, "They willingly accept the venom from my lips."_

"_I do not trap, web weaver, I hunt!" the sserpent replied dismissively, "What need have the ssstrong for desssception?"_

_The spider pursed her lips in thought, "Perhaps you cannot understand because you have never seen my work. There is a village not far from here. Perhaps we can arrange a demonstration later this evening. My talents are best reserved for partial darkness, you understand." _

_The serpent weaves his head and body as he considers the spider's proposition._

"_Very well," it hisses softly in reply, "But firsst I sshall sshow you the pleasures of hunting in the day." It begins to slither westward. "Farmers make excccellent prey." _

_Kagome frowns. She will not allow these demons to harm anyone! She reaches for an arrow when, without warning, the foreboding feeling that has plagued her for days suddenly begins to swell, overwhelming her. Her knees lock and buckle beneath her._

_At that moment the wind picks up, making the trees thrash wildly as they creak and moan in protest. The sun is cut off from them, though there are no clouds, and they all stand in shadow. A feeling of eldritch power swells an orb of white light appears in the darkened sky and floats towards the earth as slowly and gracefully as a soap bubble. As it touches the grass it begins to crackle with an unearthly light; jagged slashes appear in its smooth surface and slowly grow outwards, gradually eating away at the structure of the orb. The serpent, the spider, and Kagome watch in surprise and awe._

_As the sphere dissolves, the winds calm suddenly and the darkness fades. The globe of light disappears completely, and all is as it was before; the sun shines brightly and a gentle breeze replaces the punishing wind that had been thundering through the clearing. There is only one thing out of place; where the orb had touched down, a young woman lies in the grass, her knees to her chest and her long, curly, blood red hair her only covering. _

_The serpent overcomes his surprise first. He flicks his tongue a few times in the direction of the unconscious girl. "Human," he hisses, his voice thick with malevolent amusement, "It sseemss our ssearch for prey hass ended."_

_Kagome feels time slow to a crawl. At that moment she knows beyond any doubt that the girl is the reason she'd been feeling so uneasy for the last few days. Somehow, it was all about this; this moment. The serpent is wrapping the girl in his coils, and her weak struggles do no good against the giant beast. Kagome runs toward them, feeling as though she's stuck in molasses. She must save that girl! The spider watches with detached interest as the snake draws back his head, and strikes, his cruel ivory fangs impaling her pale shoulder. The girl screams in agony. Kagome screams with her, pain and fear pouring into her, the stranger's anguished cry filling her senses. _

oOo

Kagome sat bolt upright, breathing hard. Sweat plastered her bangs to her forehead and she was shaking tremulously. It was a dream…wasn't it? Oh kami, it was just a dream! No! Not just a dream! She curled her arms around her knees, and felt like she wanted to cry.

"Oi! Kagome!" someone whispered urgently.

She started at the sound and looked up to see Inuyasha looking down into her face. She shrank back, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "Did I wake you?"

"Nah," he whispered back, "What's up? You reek of fear."

Kagome flushed, "It's nothing. Just a bad dream, I think…"

"You think?" Inuyasha said with a soft growl, "What's that mean?

Kagome frowned, "I don't know. The more I try to convince myself it was just a dream, the more I know it wasn't." Inuyasha raised one eyebrow at her, "I can't explain it, alright?" she hissed.

Inuyasha was silent for a minute, unsure of what to say next. He remembered that when he was just a pup, whenever he woke up from a nightmare, his mother Izayoi was always there to listen to him, to hold him and tell him that it was alright; it was just a dream. "Wanna tell me about it?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome nodded solemnly and explained her dream. She told him about the demons and their argument, and the arrival of the strange girl. She told him about her absolute certainty that the girl was the reason she'd been having the feeling of premonition and how she had shared the girl's pain and fear when the serpent bit her.

Inuyasha scratched his head, "That's a weird dream," he commented.

"Not my weirdest," Kagome replied, "One time I dreamed that my homework ate a dog." That's when she caught the first rays of sun peeking through the leafy tree tops. The foreboding feeling instantly redoubled in force, driving the details of the dream further into her mind.

"Inuyasha," she began shakily as she stood, "Will you wake everyone up?"

"What? Why?" he objected, "It's barely dawn!"

"Because if I remember correctly, you owe me one," she intoned meaningfully, "Please hurry, Inuyasha. It's important!" She said as she stepped behind a tree to change into her normal clothes.

Inuyasha shrugged and sighed. He walked over to the first sleeping lump and kicked it.

"Get up Miroku!"

"Ah! Inuyasha? What's going on?" grumbled the monk drowsily.

"Kagome says everyone needs to get up." Inuyasha said before moving to the next lump, ignoring Miroku's questions and protests.

"Oi! Runt!" he grunted, picking Shippo up by the tail. The kit woke up with a jolt and immediately began shouting.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, INUYASHA? PUT ME DOWN! WHY ARE YOU WAKING ME UP SO EARLY? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN!" Inuyasha obliged, and Shippo dropped on his head. "OW! THAT HURT! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?"

A bleary eyed Sango poked her head up and glowered at the noisemakers, her gaze promising death or at least dismemberment. By this time Miroku had realized there was no getting back to sleep, and stood to address Inuyasha.

"I'm afraid I must agree with Shippo, Inuyasha. Why are you waking us so early? What's the hurry?" Miroku asked.

Kagome appeared from behind the tree dressed in her green and white school uniform.

"It's my fault, guys," she said, as she grabbed her bow and her back pack. "We need to get moving, _now_!"

She quelled their protests and questions with a simple, "I'll explain on the way, guys. Just, please hurry. It's important."

Compelled by the urgency in her voice, they held their curiosity in check, and were soon ready. Kagome rode on Inuyasha's back and Shippo rode with Sango and Miroku on Kirara, who had transformed from a petite kitten to a roaring youkai which would have dwarfed any large cat in the animal kingdom. As promised, Kagome explained to them about her dream when they were rushing towards the clearing. "It wasn't a normal dream. It couldn't have been," she said, "I think it's really going to happen."

Sango and Miroku exchanged dubious glances. Miroku shrugged and said aloud, "Stranger things have happened, Kagome sama."

They were in sight of the clearing when the sky darkened inexplicably and the wind began to whip violently around them. The tingle of a strange magick pressed against their senses. They looked up through the tree tops and could just make out the form of a silvery white sphere dropping gently from the darkened but cloudless sky.

"Kagome chan!" Sango cried out in alarm as the realization struck her; it actually was happening.

"I know!" Kagome shouted, "We're almost there!"

They doubled their speed and crashed through the trees into the clearing even as the serpent demon had begun to wrap the girl in his coils.

"Sanken tesshou!" Inuyasha shouted, neatly severing the serpents head from his body. His coils fell limply to the ground, dragging down the now unconscious girl who was still wrapped within them. As Kagome went to pull her from the dead serpent, Sango attacked the spider demon with Hiraikotsu. The demon made an attempt to stop it with a spray of thick webbing, but Hiraikotsu cut through it easily. Shock and fear barely had time to register in the spider's mind before it heard its own neck snap like a dry twig. Its head fell with a sickly thud on the grass and rolled a few feet before stopping, its dark eyes still blinking in surprise.

"Inuyasha, give me your haori!" called Kagome.

Inuyasha rotated his arm while grasping his shoulder, stretching out his right arm.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'," Inuyasha grumbled as he made his way over to the spot where Kagome, Sango, and Shippo hovered protectively over the fallen stranger. Sango stood in front of Miroku, glaring icily and keeping him a safe distance away. Kirara stood next to her friend and mistress and growled warningly at the monk, although being once again the size of a kitten she was much more adorable than intimidating. Miroku was, in turn, wearing his most innocent expression.

"Come now, Sango, I simply meant to give her my cloak to cover her nakedness. It is my duty as a monk to give all that I have to those in need," he finished, giving her his most altruistic smile.

Sango gazed at him unyieldingly through half lidded eyes, "Save it, houshi," she replied dryly.

Inuyasha looked away self consciously as he handed his coat to Kagome, blushing slightly, uncomfortable at the prospect of being near some strange naked girl.

Kagome quickly wrapped the girl in the red garment and frowned. She was much taller than she expected. The fire rat haori wouldn't be quite long enough to cover her. She would have to see if she had something sufficient in her bag. It surprised her when she noticed that the bright red of Inuyasha's haori made her hair color seem an even brighter shade of scarlet by comparison. She would have thought the fire rat cloth would have made her hair look less red.

At that moment, the girl stirred. Her long, dark lashes fluttered, and she groaned softly as she opened her eyes. Awareness slowly crept into her features, and she clutched Inuyasha's haori closer to herself. Her eyes darted from face to face, blinking rapidly, her face carefully neutral. She raised one eyebrow slightly as she looked at Inuyasha, taking in his youkai ears and claws, then she let her eyes wander to the ruined corpses of the demons which had attempted to kill her moments before.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kagome's voice was filled with motherly concern.

"Yes. Thanks to you," the girl answered matter of factly, as she inspected the fire rat robe, "It appears I'm in your debt."

"I assure you, you are most welcome," Miroku broke in smoothly, "May I ask you something?"

Sparing him a brief glance, she nodded as she tried to shift her sparse coving into a more modest arrangement without revealing more in the process.

In the blink of an eye Miroku was on one knee and held the girl's hand in his.

"Would you consider bearing my child?"

The red haired girl blinked in surprise, "Excuse me?"

"Is that a yes? OUCH!" Miroku exclaimed as Hiraikotsu thunked him noisily on the head, "Please, forgive me. I just can't help myself around beautiful women."

The girl blinked again, "Is this a joke?"

"Feh! Perverted monk!" growled Inuyasha.

"Don't worry about him," Kagome explained, "He's harmless."

"Stupid, but harmless," Shippo chimed in.

"Come now! Surely you're exaggerating," protested the monk.

"I don't know why you two try to stop him. I haven't heard a single woman say yes yet," Inuyasha remarked sardonically.

"You've got a point," Sango chuckled.

"Now, now," Miroku objected again, "Surely we can think of better ways to use our time. After all, we have a guest."

Miroku offered the mysterious red haired girl his hand, and helped her stand; an amusing sight considering she towered over him by almost a foot and she was hunching so as to allow the fire rat haori cover as much as possible, "Please forgive our rudeness. We haven't even asked your name."

"Aaralyn," the girl responded distractedly not quite meeting his eye, "My name is Aaralyn."

Miroku took her lack of eye contact as modesty and found it very fetching. "That is an unusual name," commented Miroku, "It is quite lovely and exotic. It suits you well," he crooned flatteringly as he let his free hand wander over her back side.

Aaralyn stiffened. Before the monk could blink she had punched him so hard that he found himself sprawled out on the ground a few feet away.

Eyebrows shot up in surprise at that. Miroku had been struck many a time, but it was not often that a girl could knock him flat with one hit. Sango's frequent "reprimands" had toughened him up, after all.

The girl squared her shoulders, glaring down at the monk, "Try that again," she said coldly, "and I will see to it that **no** woman will **ever** bear your child."

Miroku blanched as the full implications of Aaralyn's statement sank in.

Slowly, a smug grin broke out on Sango's face, "I like her already!"

"At least he doesn't bruise easy!" Shippo laughed as the stunned Miroku carefully worked his jaw.

"Thank the heavens for small favors." He replied wryly, slowly rising to his feet.

Sango glared at him, "You deserved it!"

"Perhaps," he admitted, "Allow me to make my apology by purchasing proper clothing at the next village," he said to Aaralyn with a polite bow.

Aaralyn flushed slightly at the reminder of her present state of undress.

"I would appreciate that," she said with her eyes on the ground.

"You ought to!" interjected Shippo, "Miroku doesn't pay for anything if he can help it"

"Yeah, whatever, let's just get there so I can get my clothes back!" Inuyasha barked.

Returning to camp took longer than they expected; their mysterious guest was disoriented and wobbly, and she repeatedly, though politely, refused assistance. Upon reaching their destination, Kagome gave Aaralyn a pair of panties, and Sango lent her the green wrap she usually kept tied over her yukata, which the tall red head had to tie sideways as a sarong. She looked very strange; an uncommonly tall, silver eyed woman with wild red hair wrapped in a fire rat haori with a green wrap skirt falling just above her knees.

Aaralyn peered discreetly around the camp. Shippo was constantly hovering just out of her line of vision, scenting her and looking very confused. Inuyasha crouched near the fire Kagome had rekindled, rolling his eyes at Shippo's behavior, while at the same time covertly analyzing the stranger's scent. It must have puzzled him as well, judging by the frown on his face. Then again, he'd been wearing a frown almost continuously since she'd arrived, so she couldn't be certain. Kagome was rummaging around in a yellow bag, looking for something. Sango was wiping down Hiraikotsu with a cloth, cleaning off the last of the ichor left from the spider demon. Although the demon slayer appeared to be busy, she was sneaking frequent glances at Aaralyn, curiosity gleaming in her dark eyes. Miroku was sitting cross legged next to Sango, seemingly in meditation, but she could feel him probing curiously at her aura. He wouldn't get much that way. As soon as she noticed the wisp of royal that signified spiritual powers in the monk's aura she began to suppress her own. Surface emotions would be enough to satisfy his curiosity.

Her observations were cut short when Kagome approached her.

"Here," she said, handing a small green enamel box to Aaralyn.

"What is it?" Aaralyn asked, closely examining the curious package.

"It's a bento. I always pack a few extra, just in case," Kagome said with a kind smile, "I was almost afraid that one would go to waste."

"Bento?" Aaralyn carefully opened it, "What is it?" she asked when she saw the food.

"They're onigiri, umeboshi, salmon, omelette, and rice."

Kagome handed her a pair of chopsticks, which Aaralyn held awkwardly, "I've never actually used these before," she said as she arranged them comfortably in her hand, "I've never had this kind of food either," she said as she clumsily pulled an omelette piece into her mouth. "Mmph! This is great!" she exclaimed with her mouth full. She immediately began shoveling down more food at an astounding rate. The slurping noises were horrendous.

"You're welcome…." Kagome answered, gaping openly at Aaralyn's lack of table manners. "You, uh… sure figured out the chopsticks fast..."

"I've always been a quick study," Aaralyn replied, wiping the last few grains of rice from her face. She handed Kagome the empty box. "Thank you very much, ma'am" she said with a polite bow.

_Ma'am?_ "Just call me Kagome, alright?" she said with a smile, "You must have been hungry."

"Yes, I was. Thank you," she said quietly, her eyes lowered, "You've been very kind to me. It's been my experience that I shouldn't expect such altruism from strangers, especially after the way I arrived. I know you're all very curious about it. I'll answer all your questions the best I can," Aaralyn said, still avoiding eye contact.

There was a pause; the calm before the storm, as they wondered which question to ask first.

Kagome was the first to break the silence, "Where did you come from, Aaralyn?" she asked, deciding to start off with a smaller question.

Shippo, encouraged by Kagome's boldness, let his curiosity get the better of him.

"Yeah, do they all have red hair there?" he blurted excitedly

Aaralyn smiled at Shippo's childish enthusiasm, "I was born in a small village on the coast of Ireland," she answered, "Not everyone there has red hair, but lots of us do."

"You're Irish?" Kagome asked, "Then how do you know Japanese? I can't even pick out an accent."

"Really?" Their red haired guest asked excitedly, "You can't tell?"

"Not even a little," Kagome replied matter-of-factly.

Aaralyn flashed a toothy grin, "Hah! Take that, Keiji jii!" Her grin faltered when she noticed the odd looks her outburst had earned her.

"Heh heh," she chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of her neck, "Sorry. Keiji jii is…" she faltered, "was…like a father to me. He taught me Japanese."

Kagome's brow knotted with concern, "Was?" she prodded gently.

"Yes," she answered calmly, needing to hear it out loud so that she could understand it herself, "We were aboard a ship on its way to India, and there was a squall. He was lashing down the cannons when one of them rolled and knocked him overboard," she frowned, "And after he told me so many times that 'I must always be aware of my surroundings.'" She paused for a moment before continuing, "I don't mean to sound callous but it really hasn't sunk in yet. That was right before I came here."

Miroku cleared his throat to catch her attention, "How exactly _did_ you come to be here?" Miroku asked, "We all felt a very strange power when you appeared."

Aaralyn's brow furrowed in thought as she replied, "I don't know exactly how it happened. I was up in the rigging. Suddenly Saint Elmo's Fire burst out of nothing right above me. I'd never seen anything like it: It glowed like ice and moved like fire. Its energy was so… it was completely alien but…familiar too." Aaralyn paused, looking embarrassed, "I panicked. I lost my footing like an amateur. I should have splattered on the deck but…" She paused again, frowning, " I thought I was going to die. I may have imagined it, but as I was falling the Saint Elmo's Fire changed; it almost looked like a giant albatross. It dove straight for me and I felt it wrap around me. The next thing I knew I was in that serpent's coils."

Everyone was quiet. Whatever it was they'd been expecting it wasn't this.

"You expect us to believe something like that?" Inuyasha sneered.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome protested. Why was he being so hostile?

Aaralyn however hadn't reacted at all. She remained sitting cross legged with her back to the fire. Eying him with her peripheral vision, she arched one eyebrow and replied, "Your monk has been monitoring my aura for quite some time now, almost as closely as you've been examining my scent. You can ask him whether I'm telling the truth or not if you don't trust your own nose."

Inuyasha growled. For the first time in his life, he didn't trust his nose. He couldn't place Aaralyn's weird scent. She didn't smell like a youkai, that was certain, but she didn't smell like any human he'd ever scented before. Most people smelled like dirt or sweat or filth, and the ones with spiritual powers smelled of water or earth or flowers, but her scent was all over the place. She smelled of sunlight and earth and water and the wind; of fire and ice, but most confounding of all was an underlying scent; it smacked of a powerful, unfamiliar magick. Her wildly contrasting scent overpowered the normally obvious scents like fear, anger, or deceit. Worse yet, her aura didn't match up to her scent; her aura was thin and neutral and gave little more insight into her emotional state than her scent; of course it didn't help that he'd never been very good at interpreting those things. Still, she must have been suppressing it, which meant, firstly, there was no way she was an ordinary human; very few beings could manage such techniques, and secondly, she was hiding something. And if she had something to hide then she might be dangerous, and he'd be damned if he'd let her hurt anyone.

"What are you?" Inuyasha growled, leaning forward from his perch in the tree to get a better look at her.

The question caught Aaralyn off guard, "What do you mean?"

"What the hell do you think I mean?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, "You don't smell human or demon, so what are you?"

"Confused," Aaralyn answered deliberately, "I don't know how to answer that."

His limited amount of patience was gone. "Just answer my question, stupid!" he shouted.

That got her attention. Her head snapped up, and her silver eyes locked on Inuyasha's gold ones, "What did you call me, dog-boy?" she challenged, her own growl rivaling Inuyasha's.

"Dog boy?" Inuyasha shouted back, "Wanna say that to my face, bitch?"

"Osuwari!" Kagome commanded.

Inuyasha yelped as the spell dragged him from his tree branch and slammed him to the ground.

"Dammit, Kagome, what'd you do that for?" he shouted as soon as the spell let him up.

Kagome folded her arms over her chest and glared daggers at the hanyou, "Because you were threatening her! What's the matter with you, Inuyasha?"

"She called me "dog-boy"!"

"You were the one who started the name calling! You snapped at her for no reason!"

"She wouldn't answer my question!"

"She didn't understand it. What kind of question was that anyway?"

"A normal one, baka!"

"Osuwari!"

Inuyasha tensed involuntarily, having been conditioned by his previous experiences with that word.

Nothing happened.

He opened one eye and quickly noticed that everyone was looking at Aaralyn.

"It's not working!" the red head said with a frown, "Osuwari!" she repeated, looking disappointed when Inuyasha wasn't flung to the ground.

She had tried to osuwari Inuyasha! Sango and Kagome attempted to stifle their laughter while Miroku chuckled openly. Inuyasha was thunderstruck. _'She tried to subdue me!'_

Shippo tugged on Aaralyn's sleeve to get her attention, "It only works when Kagome does it," he explained, "It's because she's a miko."

Inuyasha had finally snapped out of it and began to growl. "You're dead!" Inuyasha snarled as he lunged at Aaralyn.

"Osuwari!" shouted Kagome, halting him mid-leap.

Aaralyn focused on the pulse of orchid that flickered over the prayer beads around the indignant hanyou's neck. The refreshing energy caressed her senses. It was definitely bloodline magick; very familiar. It was wild and untrained, centered and channeled only by the subduing spell, but the energy had a very pure feel to it, free from hatred, fear and bitterness. There was something else about it; something elusive that Aaralyn just couldn't place. She was torn from her thoughts by a long string of curses and threats which the hanyou was aiming at her.

"…And if you EVER fucking try to do that again, I'll rip out your tongue and make you eat it!" he shouted.

Aaralyn suppressed a grin. This guy was fun: He rose to the bait every single time! "I have no reason to try it again if it'll never work for me. It really is an interesting word choice though, **osuwari**, that is," she said slowly, unsuccessfully fighting down a grin when Inuyasha involuntarily flinched, "Tell me, Kagome," Aaralyn said, turning her body toward the young miko, but keeping her eyes trained on Inuyasha, "was the word **osuwari** predetermined, or did you decide on **osuwari** on your own?"

Inuyasha cringed at the most hated word and bared his teeth at Aaralyn. "That's IT!" he shouted and charged her again, his claws ready for action.

Kagome shouted at him, "Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari!" slamming him down hard.

Kagome's power was easier to read this time, probably because of the repeated commands. She caught a wisp of that unfamiliar strain, and grasped onto it. How interesting. It seemed that the miko energy was undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts; becoming firmer, denser. There was something else there, something even stranger, but just as she closed in on it, Kagome's aura died down. Aaralyn surveyed the scene quickly to find that Inuyasha had taken to sulking darkly in a tree a good twenty feet away, his back to the group. She grinned as she noticed one of his canine ears swiveled backwards to listen. She thought about teasing him for it, but decided not to press his buttons further. Everyone else had resumed their positions in a half circle facing her.

"There's another question I want to ask you," Kagome said, calling the red head's attention, "Last night I had a dream about you. It showed me what happened this morning; you appearing and then being attacked."

Aaralyn leaned in towards her, "Have you had visions of me before?"

Kagome shook her head, "No. I've never had any kind of vision before."

"Really? That's interesting," Aaralyn said, pursing her lips in thought. _Could the_ _vision have been a result of the metamorphosis in her energy?_ Aaralyn sat and silently pondered that thought as she tried to remember the feel of Kagome's energy, unaware that her contemplative pause was quickly becoming an uncomfortable silence.

"Why is that interesting?" Kagome prodded, derailing Aaralyn's train of thought.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry. *Ahem* It just caught me by surprise that it was your first vision."

"Why's that so surprising?" Kagome asked her curiosity piqued.

"In my experience those with bloodline magicks usually have visions or at least premonitions; last minute warnings to help keep you out of danger or let you know when something important is about to happen."

"In your experience?" Miroku butted in, "Does that mean you've seen visions?"

Aaralyn nodded solemnly, "Ever since I was seven."

"Was that your," he paused before using the word; it felt so inaccurate to him, "magick… that we felt when you arrived?"

Aaralyn shook her head, "I was unconscious so I can't be sure, but I don't think it was. I am a seer. Whatever it was that brought me here was something far more powerful than I am."

"I see," the monk replied.

"What are 'bloodline magicks'?" Shippo asked as he tugged on Aaralyn's sleeve.

Aaralyn looked down at him and smiled kindly. She liked the kit. His innocence was refreshing, "Magick comes from two sources. It can be studied and learned from books, and it can be passed down from ancestor to descendant. Just like you got your looks from your mama and papa, I inherited my magick from mine and Kagome from hers. Our magicks are different since we don't share a bloodline, but our powers come from the same place," she said as she turned to Kagome, "If I had to guess, I would say that is why Kagome dreamt about my arrival. Our magicks are so similar that it is possible that they connected while I was in that…whatever-it-was."

Everyone's questions had been answered, and quiet settled over the group as they digested the information that they had received. Only Inuyasha's mood remained dark as he brooded over one remark in particular: "…those with bloodline magicks usually have visions or at least premonitions; last minute warnings to help keep you out of danger…," that's what Aaralyn had said. So what if Kagome's vision really was a "last minute warning" and Aaralyn was the danger it was warning against?

The hanyou's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched the stranger who smelled neither human nor demon.

Hanyou: Half demon

Youkai: Demon

Youki: Demonic aura/energy

Jyaki: The form of demonic energy more commonly associated with attacks/intent to kill

Miko: Priestess

Kitsune: Fox

Houshi: Monk

Taijiya: Demon Slayer

Onna: Woman

Baka: Idiot

Haori: The jacket that Inuyasha wears

((A/N: So ends the first chapter. Please read and review.))


	2. Accusations

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

It was almost dusk. They'd been walking ever since that afternoon, heading for Kaede's village. It had been decided that Aaralyn would stay there until she found a way back or at least found someone else to follow around. The steady, monotonous pace would have been boring were it not for the "entertainment." Miroku was making continuous advances towards Sango, which she ceaselessly brushed off until his hand found her back side. Then the demon slayer would cry out, "Letch!" or "Hentai!" and slap him across the face. It would be quiet for a few minutes while he lovingly caressed the red handprint on his cheek, and then the cycle would begin all over again.

Inuyasha and Kagome were arguing about a well and something called school. She didn't understand the argument, but that didn't stop her from listening to it. From what she could gather there was a well that would somehow transport Kagome away to "the present" and to "school" and Inuyasha didn't like that at all. He nagged that they should be finding "jewel shards" and that she had spent three days in "the present" last week. Kagome explained that she had been "making up exams" during those three days and that she would be "checking her grades" this time, so she would only be gone for one day. This failed to quiet the complaining hanyou, who claimed that one day could be the difference between them finding another "jewel shard" or someone named Naraku getting it. He even threatened to seal up the well when they got there, and Kagome threatened to osuwari him into next week if he tried it. It was only when Kagome mentioned that they were getting low on something called ramen anyway that Inuyasha finally resigned himself to grumbling and muttering under his breath.

Needless to say, Aaralyn was very curious by the time they set up camp; what are the "jewel shards" and "school" and "the present" and "exams", and who was Naraku? She decided against questioning Inuyasha as he'd been eying her distrustfully all day. She rolled her eyes at the thought. So she had tried to subdue him, so what? He didn't have to act like she was going to give him a hotfoot the second he turned his back. He would have to be wearing shoes for that anyway. She grinned to herself at the thought.

Instead she pumped Shippo for information. The little kitsune had taken an instant liking to Aaralyn, probably because of her red hair. He called her Neesan and had tagged along with her all day; skipping along beside her or riding on her shoulder (there was no finer vantage point; Aaralyn was almost as tall as Sesshomaru), making Kagome just the tiniest bit jealous that her little Shippo chan had found someone else to play with. The kit was far less guarded than the irritable Inuyasha and quickly (perhaps too quickly) told her everything she wanted to know.

"Kagome goes through the well near Kaede's village and it takes her to the present and the present is five hundred years from now and when she's there she goes to school there where they make her read books all day with a bunch of other humans and then they give exams those are lots of questions you have to answer in writing and the jewel shards are pieces of the Shikon jewel and the Shikon jewel makes demons more powerful and that's why Naraku wants it he's our sworn enemy and he's a very evil demon who tricks people into killing each other so he doesn't have to do it and he's collecting all the jewel shards so that he can be even more powerful but we're gathering all the shards so that Kagome can make it whole again," Shippo blurted in one long incredibly unbroken sentence moving from topic to topic so that no-one had a chance to interrupt, it was really quite hypnotic. ((Star Trek reference. Sorry *wink*))

Aaralyn blinked a few times as she tried to absorb this new information while at the same time marveling at Shippo's lung capacity. She couldn't believe he said all that in one breath!

"Oi," Inuyasha growled at Aaralyn over his shoulder, "Mind your own business and leave Shippo alone." Someday he was gonna have to teach that brat to keep his mouth shut.

"She's not bothering him, Inuyasha," Kagome interjected. What was his problem anyway? He'd been testy about Aaralyn ever since their argument earlier and it had not escaped her notice.

"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted, unwilling to explain himself.

"Yeah," Shippo chimed in, "All she did was ask what you were talking about."

"Yeah, but it ain't her business!" Inuyasha snapped back

Shippo was about to retort, but Aaralyn interrupted him, "It's alright, Shippo. 'A silent mouth is melodious' after all."

Shippo cocked his head at her, "What does that mean?"

"My mother used to say that to me whenever I asked too many questions," she answered with a melancholy smile, "Now that I look back on it I think it was just her way of asking me to shut up."

Shippo looked up at her. Even though Aaralyn was smiling she smelled of sorrow and regret when she spoke about her mother; her emotions were strong enough to slip their leash and had begun to bleed into her aura. Inuyasha had scented it too and glanced over his shoulder at the wisps of gray and sulphur which had begun to tinge her aura. Even Miroku had paused in his ill-fated attempts to woo Sango, distracted by the drab colors billowing around the statuesque red head.

Kagome's back was turned to Aaralyn and so she was unable to sense her distress. "Was your mom with you on the ship?" she asked.

Aaralyn's tone became guarded as she replied, "No. It was just Keiji jii and I."

"Is she waiting for you in Ireland then?" Kagome asked.

No," Aaralyn answered softly," She's waiting for me in heaven." The colors of sorrow and regret deepened significantly and permeated her entire aura.

Kagome swallowed hard as she mentally berated herself for asking about such a sensitive subject, "Oh, Aaralyn, I'm so sorry!" she said hurriedly, "I didn't know! I'm so sorry."

"It happened a long time ago, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not talk about it right now," Aaralyn replied quietly.

"I completely understand," Kagome answered sincerely, "But if you ever do want to talk about it, I'll listen."

Aaralyn closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her scent and aura calmed immediately. "Thanks, Kagome. I appreciate that," she answered with smile that didn't reach her eyes.

They kept walking until well after the moon rose when Kagome, Miroku and Sango began complaining that it was too dark to walk. Inuyasha seemed anxious to continue and argued, but he was outnumbered. They set up camp near a small babbling stream and fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the dramatic events of the day. Only Inuyasha remained awake; keeping a silent vigil over the camp and its occupants. He watched Kagome as she slept peacefully nearby, Shippo nuzzled up to her neck. The sight of hand clumsily groping Kagome's backpack caught his attention. Inuyasha glared at the unconscious monk who laid there, a large stupid grin plastered across his face. His golden eyes darted to a blissfully unaware Sango who lay sleeping opposite Miroku with the fire between them. If only the demon slayer knew the monk tried to grope women even in his sleep… he grinned maliciously. Maybe he would tell her about it. She might switch to monk slaying for a little while.

The final person huddled near the fire shuddered violently in her sleep and mumbled something in another language. The hanyou frowned in concentration as he focused on Aaralyn's aura. It was a swirling mass of conflicting colors. Bright lemon yellow and indigo fought for dominance against muddied red and dirty brown, and silver and violet battled gloomy gray. Inuyasha was amazed at the strength and variety of the aura. So this was what her aura looked like. Strange; he was never very good at interpreting auras, but he knew that he had never seen so much purple and silver in an aura before. They're usually trace colors in those with spiritual powers, but it's never a main color.

While Inuyasha puzzled, Aaralyn dreamed.

_Keiji jii is falling. His expression is not one of fear or surprise but annoyance. He rolls his muddy hazel eyes as he falls towards the choppy waves and splashes below into the depths of the ocean. She watches her self-appointed mentor and protector drop like a stone to the bottom of the sea and thud onto the ocean floor, sending up plumes of mud and sediment all around him. He sighs as he rises to his feet and looks around as if to get his bearings, all the while stroking his long gray-brown beard, releasing a puff of dirt each time he runs his calloused hand over the coarse, matted hairs. He decides on his direction and begins walking slowly towards her_. "He's alive!" Aaralyn exclaims. Then she realizes that it something isn't right. She's never had a vision about the past. She has visions about the future, and sometimes the present. However she knows she feels the undeniable tingle of magick. Could this be a vision? And even if it is, why would Keiji jii be strolling along the ocean floor and not drowning?

_She puzzles over this until a black shadow falls over. She turns to it. Armies of inky tendrils begin to swarm around her. She feels evil and bitter hatred radiating off of them as they grow, expanding outwards and cloaking everything in their lightless chill, but the tendrils are only a fragment of a greater darkness. She focuses her sight in order to get a clearer perception of this menace, but she sees only darkness; icy rancor and malice bleeding out over all lands and enveloping everything, both good and evil. The shadow stems from a dark brooding figure. The sight of it makes her blood run cold, and she turns away._

_The Shadow lifts and she is standing in a muddy field. She hears indignant shrieking and boorish laughter up ahead and walks towards it. She knows what she will find when she reaches her destination. She has seen it before. She rounds the corner to see three filthy little boys around twelve flinging mud at two grubby little girls about the same age. To her left she sees herself at seven years of age crouching low to watch the boys' horseplay. The young red head has a look of disgust and righteous anger written across her face as she stands and shouts "Stop that! What do you think you're doing?" Aaralyn watches detachedly as the scene plays out before her eyes, thinking that she should never have interfered._

_At first the children are startled by the outraged cry, but when they see the young girl stomping angrily towards them the boys begin to laugh derisively. _

_The largest boy grins wolfishly at her, "And who's gonna make us? You?" he asks as he scoops up a fresh handful of mud and hurls it at the diminutive girl. Young Aaralyn dodges the sloppy projectile and gathers a mud-ball of her own. She flings it at the pack leader and it lands with an audible "glush" sound on the side of his head, boxing one of his ears. _

"_Not so fun now, is it?" The young red head crows in triumph. All of a sudden the girl freezes. She falls silent mid laugh, her mouth hanging numbly open and her eyelids drooping over sparkling eyes which begin to glow brightly. Aaralyn watches her young reflection thinking, 'So that's what I look like when I have a vision…Spooky.' The other children don't seem to notice though; the boys are knotted together and speak in hushed tones as they plot their revenge while the girls stand back, hesitating to either help their diminutive hero or run from their tormentors while their attention is elsewhere. The young Aaralyn snaps out of it just in time to see the boys spring at her. She struggles wildly as the two lackeys take hold of each of her arms and push her down into the mud. They practically have to lay down on her to restrain her despite their age and size difference, a fact which is not lost on her assailants. The largest boy with the wolfish grin stands over her with a handful of manure. "NOW it's fun," he says as he grasps her hair by the roots and yanks on it, pulling her head back and forcing her to look him in the eye. "Open wide you little freak." says the boy as he prepares to stuff her mouth full of the foul matter. _

_He searches the younger girl's face expecting to see her burst into tears or to see her eyes widen with fear. Instead they narrow with rage. Her eyes begin to glow bright red with veins of silver threaded throughout them, "Take your filthy, dung sucking, mother grabbing hands off me!" the young girl howls. _

_Aaralyn's attention is pulled from the plight of her younger self as an eldritch power creeps across her senses, increasing slowly until it's almost tangible. It is raw; untrained; wild. The air is becoming very hot. Breathing it in hurts! Her skin feels like it's about to catch fire. Aaralyn follows the billowing energy to its source; her young counterpart. _

'_Wha…?' Aaralyn gasps mentally, 'How…? That's not possible! I don't have that kind of magick…'_

_The ground behind the young Aaralyn suddenly begins to tremble and shake, drawing the urchins' attention. Instantly the magick is extinguished like a flame without enough air to maintain itself. The earth forms itself into a giant wolf who snarls savagely at young Aaralyn's assailants. The boys were already unnerved by Aaralyn's unnatural eyes, but the sight of an oversized earthen beast is too much for them. The ring leader drops the dung and runs away screaming, followed closely by his lackeys and the two mud-caked girls. _

_Aaralyn's eyes shoot up in surprise. "What in all the hells is that?" she exclaims aloud. Of course, her question goes unheard thus unanswered. 'But it was Mhadra who…' her thought is cut short as the muddy beast crumbles and falls in soft clumps on the tilled earth leaving behind a stout, wizened figure with a long gray-brown beard and laughing muddy green eyes. He hastily stoops and buries his hands in the tilled earth. Immediately the loam reacts, traveling up his arms and packing itself around the man until he looks exactly like a large, addle-pated mongrel that's so filthy that you can't tell the color of its coat. Aaralyn gawks at the animal as the pieces snap into place. 'An earth sprite?' Aaralyn grits her teeth, 'Keiji jii, when I see you again, I'm going to kill you!'_

_As Aaralyn gawks, young Aaralyn turns slowly to face the strange creature she heard growling behind her and laughs at the sight of the scrawny animal saying, "Are you the one who scared them off? You have a fierce growl, Mhadra." The dog barks and wags his tail. The flame-haired child scampers off the way she came, Mhadra following closely at her heels. _

_Aaralyn watches her younger self disappear in the distance. The tingle of magick dulls and disappears, leaving her alone with her thoughts, her head still spinning from her discovery. _

'_Why the hell did Keiji jii do that?' she thought angrily, 'They never would have known I was different!'_

'_That's a lie' said her common sense, 'You had a vision in front of them. Your eyes were glowing; and then they turned red! You can't pretend they didn't notice that.'_

'_Still, if Keiji jii hadn't scared the ever-loving piss out of them they might have left us alone! Mother might still be...'_

_A familiar voice behind her interrupts her train of thought, "Aaralyn…" it sobs. _

_Time slows as Aaralyn turns to face the speaker: A petite woman wearing simple, threadbare garments. Her long coppery hair is braided down her back and her sun browned hands are reaching out towards Aaralyn. Her azure eyes overflow with tears. _

_All the air rushes out of Aaralyn's lungs as though the wind had been knocked out of her. "Mother…"_

"_Aaralyn," she calls again, "Why did you leave me?"_

_Aaralyn tries to run away but her legs give out, her knees buckling beneath her._

_The color begins to drain from her mother's face as she speaks, a sickly pallor stealing over her porcelain complexion. _

"_How could you?" she asks between heart wrenching sobs, "Didn't you love me? Wasn't I a good mother?"_

_Blood begins to spill from her mothers head, streaming over her face and dripping in large droplets to the ground, staining the earth where she stands. It forms tiny rivulets which flow towards Aaralyn, pooling beneath her. In life her mother never blamed her for anything, but in death the blood itself is witness to her guilt. It whispers to her as it laps about her ankles and knees: "Murderer...Murderer...Murderer…"_

_Her mother screams with grief, "You were all I had in the world, Aaralyn! Yet you betrayed me!" _

_Aaralyn shudders violently as she watches, unable to look away as her mother dies again; her flesh becomes dark and mottled, her features become distorted with decay. _

"_Aaralyn," she sobs as her tears fall softly into the reddened mud, "Why?"_

_Her rotted skin grows taut over her skeletal frame, her lips shrivel and draw back, exposing dull, gum-less teeth; her once vibrant hair dims and becomes a lank and brittle mass, musty and dank. Tears still pour from murky, lidless eyes._

"_Why?"_

Aaralyn awoke with a gasp. Trembling, she raised her shaking hands to her face and felt the tears that were streaming from her eyes. She arose from her impromptu bed and slowly made her way to the nearby brook, intent on rinsing away the tears that still trickled down her face. Inuyasha watched her from the trees as she scooped up some clear water from the stream and splashed it onto her face. To her dismay her tears continued to drop silently from her eyes into the water below. Frowning she tried again, this time splashing her face several times, but to the same end; hot tears still pricked at the back of her eyes. Aaralyn leaned over the edge of the stream and glared at her weeping reflection. "That's right, cry," she hissed angrily, her voice thick with sarcasm, "That will fix everything."

Her reflection said nothing but continued to be disrupted by tears falling into its smooth surface, the ripples dissipating quickly as the stream swept them away. Frustrated, Aaralyn angrily struck her reflection with her fist, accidentally splashing water all over her in the process. Caught off guard by the sudden jolt of cold water, the tears stopped. Aaralyn chuckled mirthlessly as she wrung out her hair.

Inuyasha was thunderstruck as he watched the one-sided conversation. If possible, Aaralyn's aura was even more turbulent than before.

"Acting like a child; no self control," she quietly upbraided herself, "Are you finished playing the martyr now, Aaralyn? Have you come down from your cross?" she said with a sneer, "Oh, poor Aaralyn," she mocked, "While you're busy feeling sorry for yourself why don't you tell me, oh seer of things yet to come, who will your next victim be, huh?"

Inuyasha frowned _'I can sure as hell tell you who it __**won't**__ be!'_ he growled silently.

"You stupid, selfish child," she softly chided as she stood and turned back towards the camp, leaving her unannounced observer alone with his thoughts.

Inuyasha sat immobile on his perch, stunned by Aaralyn's words and actions. _'That girl is unstable!'_ he thought as he watched her make her way back. It was becoming more and more apparent to him that Aaralyn was dangerous, but the others didn't seem to notice. He frowned as he remembered Kagome and Shippo's faces when they shot him down and defended the strange girl. She was obviously conflicted about something and definitely hiding things from them. _'I don't like this,' _he thought with a frown as he resolved to watch her more closely from here on out.He yawned involuntarily then growled at himself for doing it. "Dammit!" he snarled and shook himself hard.

_I shouldn't be this tired_. He glared up at the waning sliver of moon. He couldn't afford to sleep; he needed to stay awake. When the drowsiness did not subside the hanyou jumped down and splashed water on his face. That did the trick. He shook himself like a dog and leapt back up into the tree branches to continue his silent vigil.

oOo

Dawn crept over the horizon and stretched her rays over the landscape to find the group already several miles from their now abandoned campsite. Inuyasha had ordered everybody up and on the move hours before the sun was all the way up despite everyone's protests. He actually managed to drag the bleary eyed and exhausted bunch at a soldier's pace until late afternoon before they stopped for a break. Kagome's snacks went only so far on the long march. They needed a hot meal. The fire had barely been lit when Inuyasha began to rifle through Kagome's backpack grinning expectantly.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome protested, "Do you mind?" He was annoying her. Hells, _everything_ was annoying her this morning; sun shining (too bright), birds chirping (too cheerful), and now a rude hanyou, the very same that was responsible for waking her up at the ass-crack-of-dawn, was rooting through her bag and tossing her school books and supplies all over the place.

"Hmm?" he mumbled disinterestedly as he continued to search the canary colored bag, flinging random objects over his shoulder as he hunted, "Mind what?"

"Osuwari!" Kagome spat irritably. She never had been a morning person, and two days of extra-early rising had begun to take its toll.

"Gyaa!" Inuyasha said as he was slammed to the ground, "Dammit, bitch! What was that for?" he shouted in Kagome's face as soon as he could stand up again, her backpack still clutched in one of his hands.

"OSUWARI!" she shouted, "You have NO concept of personal property!" she lectured angrily, walking over to reclaim her bag while the spell held Inuyasha against the ground.

"What an idiot," Shippo remarked dryly, earning him a murderous glare from the prostrate hanyou.

"Why you…" Inuyasha seethed. The spell released him and he immediately lunged at the mischievous kitsune. "Get over here, Shippo!"

"Wah! Kagome!" Shippo yelped as he hid from his furious pursuer behind his surrogate mother.

Kagome glared daggers at Inuyasha, who skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Inuyasha!" she growled warningly, the word of subjugation on the tip of her tongue.

Inuyasha just stood there staring incredulously at her. Just what the hell was her problem anyway? Why was she treating him this way? All he wanted was some stupid ramen out of her stupid backpack. Why was she being so unreasonable? He didn't need this. If he wanted to be treated like shit he would live with Sesshomaru. An angry scowl crept over his face, "FUCK THIS!" he shouted and bounded away.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Inuyasha was SO immature! What the heck was his problem anyway? He disrespected her personal property, insulted her, and then bullied poor little Shippo, and when she stood up for herself he stormed off screaming obscenities. She glared darkly in the direction that Inuyasha had fled as she gathered up a few school books and a towel which the aforementioned hanyou had scattered about the campsite.

Aaralyn pursed her lips as she watched Kagome grumble quietly to herself. Shippo was attempting to cheer her up by helping her collect her belongings. The red headed girl stole a glance at Sango and Miroku out of the corner of her eyes. They were chatting as if nothing were out of the ordinary, Miroku making seemingly unwanted advances towards the comely demon slayer who responded with violence.

"Come now, Sango," Miroku began, "How can you be so cold?"

"Can it, monk!" Sango replied, glowering at him, "And keep your hands to yourself!"

"Why, Sango!" he exclaimed, doing his best to look shocked and hurt, "You wound me."

"Don't tempt me!" she shot back.

Kirara yawned as she shifted slightly in Sango's lap.

'_Interesting,'_ Aaralyn thought to herself as she wondered just how commonplace these arguments must be if they were ignored so completely. She picked up a small notepad that was lying next to her and handed it to Kagome, one eyebrow raised in silent inquiry.

Kagome took a deep breath, "Sorry about that. He can be a jerk sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Shippo interjected wryly, "He's always picking fights."

"Hmph," Kagome snorted, "So this was what he was after," she said, holding aloft a colorful, cylindrical paper container.

Aaralyn cocked her head to one side as she peered at the strange object. "What's that?" Aaralyn asked.

"Ramen," Kagome and Shippo answered in unison.

Kagome handed it to Aaralyn who turned it over and over in her hands, "What is it?" she asked as she shook it gently.

"Here, I'll show you." Kagome said as she took the ramen back from the curious red head.

Aaralyn hovered over Kagome's shoulder, watching her pour boiling water over the dehydrated meat, noodles, and vegetables. It didn't look very appetizing to her. After a few minutes though Kagome peeled off the paper lid and shoved the hot cup into Aaralyn's hands along with the chopsticks she had used the night before. Aaralyn couldn't believe her eyes! The cup, which had been mostly empty before, was now overflowing with steaming noodles and seasonings. She dug out a mouthful dangled the noodles into her mouth, quietly concentrating on chewing. "This is good!" she exclaimed with a full mouth as she proceeded to shovel the noodles noisily down her throat and slurp the broth.

"It's Inuyasha's favorite," Shippo said matter-of-factly.

"Last one too," added Kagome.

"Really?" Aaralyn asked between slurps, "Won't he be angry?"

Kagome reclined nearby, her sleep debt catching up to her, "He probably would be if he was here, but I bet he's pretty far away by now."

"I'm not surprised," Aaralyn commented off-handedly as she took another bite.

Kagome ruffled slightly by the implied accusation in her tone, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Aaralyn started cautiously, sneaking a sidelong glance at the young miko, "I don't think Inuyasha was the only one at fault."

Kagome blinked in surprise but said nothing as she waited for Aaralyn to explain.

Aaralyn met Kagome's eyes and continued calmly and gently, "Inuyasha was definitely being inconsiderate by going through your things, but subduing him did nothing help to diffuse the situation," she cast her silver eyes on Shippo, "And while Inuyasha definitely should have controlled his temper instead of attacking you, insulting him only made him angrier."

Shippo frowned a little; he was unused to being scolded. Kagome silently digested Aaralyn's words. Although her pride wanted to insist she was in the right, she couldn't help but see the truth in what was said.

"Mind you," Aaralyn continued, "I'm not saying Inuyasha was right, only that he wasn't the only one in the wrong."

Kagome sighed, "I can see your point, but Inuyasha isn't always the easiest person to get along with."

Aaralyn's mouth slid into a half grin, "So I gathered. He explodes at the slightest provocation," she smirked as she remembered how easily he rose to her bait when they argued the previous day, "Still, 'a soft answer turns away wrath'."

"Um…what?" Kagome asked, confusion written all over her face.

Aaralyn chuckled good naturedly and began to explain, "It means you can avoid an argument by refusing to use fighting words."

"I see," Kagome answered although she still didn't really get it.

Aaralyn knew Kagome didn't fully understand, but chose to noisily slurp in another mouthful of noodles and let the miko mull it over.

They all sat quietly, Kagome puzzling over Aaralyn's advice (just what did she mean by fighting words anyway?) while Shippo amused himself with crayons. Aaralyn slurped down the remainder of the ramen and lay down to rest with the empty ramen cup still in her lap. Miroku had decided to meditate, leaving Sango alone to practice with Hiraikotsu by the tree line. The shadows were growing long and evening was fast approaching when a streak of silver and red plopped suddenly in the middle of the camp. Inuyasha was back.

He sniffed the air suspiciously, following a scent through the camp. His eyes darted around until they landed on the empty ramen cup; his brows furrowed. His lips peeled back, baring his inhuman canines, "That was the last one" he growled bestially, his golden eyes boring into Aaralyn as though they were trying to burn her, "You ate the last…fucking…one!" he barked.

Aaralyn stared wearily at Inuyasha and raised her left eyebrow.

"Inuyasha," Kagome began to protest, but Aaralyn motioned that it was okay. She wasn't about to let Inuyasha get the better of her so soon after preaching patience.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha," she said sincerely, "I didn't know it was the last one when I started eating it."

Her calm response threw him off balance. Not knowing how to react, he fell into his old standby; anger. He curled his lips and shouted, "Yeah, well 'sorry' doesn't get me more ramen!"

"No, I don't suppose it does," Aaralyn answered evenly, meeting his blazing golden eyes without fear or malice.

"No, it doesn't," he blustered ineffectually, "so you can keep your damn apology!" he snarled. He felt foolish and confused. You yell at someone, they yell back or back off, not sympathize with him!

Aaralyn blinked once. "As you wish, Inuyasha. I retract my apology," she replied as she handed the empty cup to Kagome, "Thank you for the meal, Kagome. I apologize for the trouble I've caused."

"Uh…don't mention it," Kagome responded delicately as she peered at Inuyasha out of the corners of her eyes.

"Don't ignore me, bitch!" he spat, his confusion blossoming into full blown irritation when Aaralyn turned her attention from him.

Aaralyn slowly turned her silver eyes back to him, a tiny smirk pulling at the left corner of her mouth, "Interesting."

"What'd you say?" Inuyasha growled at her as he made a fist. Her attitude (or lack thereof) was getting to him. Well whatever her game was, he wasn't going to let her win.

"I said that's interesting," Aaralyn began, "What does that word mean to you, Inuyasha?" she asked, cocking her head to one side, "'bitch,' I mean. You're half dog demon, right? I wouldn't be surprised if that word has an entirely different meaning among the inuyoukai."

"Shut up! What the hell d'you know anyway?" he bellowed, thoroughly frustrated. Gods, what was wrong with that girl? One day she was fighting with him and trying to subdue him and the next she was ignoring his insults and dissecting his speech.

"I don't know anything about it," Aaralyn said in a light, conversational tone, "It's just an interesting thought. It would make sense that 'bitch' is a perfectly acceptable form of address to inuyoukai; possibly the equivalent of 'onna'."

Inuyasha was silent. He stared slack jawed at Aaralyn, too frustrated and confused by her behavior to string together a coherent thought.

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed, "I never thought of that. Is that true, Inuyasha?" she asked hopefully.

"This was too much for our poor hanyou. He stood stunned, unable to process Aaralyn's behavior.

"What in all the hells is wrong with you?" he exploded, but Aaralyn barely noticed. She was ignoring him again! Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath and prepared to shout again, but he faltered when a ripple of bright silvery violet rippled through Aaralyn's aura. At the same time Kagome's aura exploded in pearly orchid.

Aaralyn stood silently and frowned westward.

"A shikon shard!" Kagome gasped

"What?" Inuyasha yelped, "Where?"

Kagome pointed westward, "There," she said slowly, giving Aaralyn a strange look. Could she sense the jewel shards too?

Aaralyn's brow was furrowed in thought as she looked at Kagome and then westward again. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but snapped it shut again.

"Did you just..?" Kagome began and then gasped, her eyes widening, "It's headed this way!" she shouted, "Fast!"

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble, getting progressively louder as their unseen quarry thundered towards them. A giant boar, easily ten feet tall, driven into a blind, mindless rage by the power of the shikon jewel crashed through the towering greenery and charged towards the group.

"Shit!" Inuyasha exclaimed, drawing his katana, the Tetsusaiga, from its scabbard, transforming the rusty blade into a fierce fang. He pointed the legendary youkai sword towards the maddened beast and charged, "Hrrrah!"

The boar surprised him; it was more agile than he'd expected. It dodged the blow that he'd aimed at its head and barreled towards the rest of the group. Miroku struggled to get out of the beast's way, but a large hard chunk of earth which the animal had kicked up fell solidly on his head, stunning him.

"Houshi!" Sango shouted, barely managing to pull him up onto Kirara and out of the maddened animal's path.

The boar continued charging forwards and was rapidly closing in on Kagome, much to Inuyasha's dismay.

"You idiot!" he howled at her, "get outta the way!"

Kagome ignored him and instead stood her ground, her bow bent and an arrow notched. Her face was intensely focused as a small orb of opalescent orchid flickered to life on the tip of the arrow.

Aaralyn had scooped Shippo up in her arms and taken him to the clearing's edge where Sango was setting down the semi-conscious Miroku. She turned around just in time to see Kagome release her arrow, which shimmered with a wholesome light until it pierced its target; smack in the middle of the beast's chest. The creature bellowed in pain and lost the rhythm of its steps. It crashed loudly to the ground and skidded, carried by its massive momentum, towards Kagome.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, dashing with all the speed afforded by his youkai blood to pull the young miko from danger. He plucked her out of the way just in time. The beast skidded past where she had been standing, finally halting near the tree-line; dead.

Everyone was still and silent for a moment in the wake of the sudden confrontation. Their tension gradually gave way to relief as they gathered around the monstrous corpse; already churning and bubbling away into nothingness before the corruption of the shikon jewel shard and the purity of Kagome's arrow.

"Is that it?" Aaralyn asked solemnly, pointing at the shard; a black, lightless beacon belching dark motes and screaming for blood and vengeance from its resting place in the boar's great lolling tongue.

Kagome glanced curiously at her, "Yes, it is."

Aaralyn could feel the hatred and avarice roiling off the shard's obsidian surface and shuddered; it was vile. She watched as Kagome knelt down and reached for it, her pure energy began to swirl almost imperceptibly around her; crying out to reclaim the shard and remove it's taint. The instant her fingertips brushed across its blackened surface the malevolent energy faded, leaving behind a beautiful pink shard which echoed Kagome's own purity and whispered promises of untold power.

Kagome pulled the stopper out of the small vial which she wore around her neck and dropped the small fragment in with the half dozen others she carried. Her wide blue eyes settled on Aaralyn, "Can you sense the shards of the Shikon jewel?" the young miko asked.

The statuesque red head watched the boar disintegrate silently for a few moments before turning to face everyone. Every eye was trained on her, hungry for answers and glittering with curiosity.

Aaralyn pursed her lips before answering, "Yes and no."

"What does that mean?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, I can sense them, but not the way you do," Aaralyn explained patiently, "I can sense and interpret magickal energies. I could feel a malevolent energy burning from the west, but I couldn't tell what or exactly where it was. You instantly recognized it and knew how close it was."

Kagome lifted the vial around her neck, "What about these?" she asked, "Can you sense them?"

Aaralyn breathed out slowly from barely parted lips, her eyes half lidded in concentration, "Yes and no," she answered again, "Their energy is almost identical to yours now, Kagome. The only difference is a wisp of… consciousness that's not yours," she said softly, "It's almost like they're alive," she added with a frown, "But it's far more likely that who or whatever made that thing left an irreversible impression of themself in it."

"Oi," Inuyasha interrupted, "D'you think you'd recognize it next time?" His tone was serious; his eyes were unreadable.

"Recognize a corrupted shard's energy? Most likely," Aaralyn shrugged, "The voices inside are much louder when the shard is tainted."

Sango eyes widened in surprise, "You mean you hear voices in the Shikon Jewel?"

"Yes," Aaralyn replied, "If I focus enough."

"What do they sound like?" Shippo blurted.

Aaralyn smiled at Shippo, always won over by his adorable childish enthusiasm, "Well, earlier it sounded horrible; like thousands of creatures shouting and screaming, but now it sounds like just one person whispering softly," she frowned as she concentrated, "I think it's a woman," a new question entered her mind, "Can you hear them, Kagome?"

The young miko shook her head, "Mm mm. That's an incredible talent you have," she said sincerely, "Is that how you could tell I had powers?"

"Exactly," Aaralyn replied with a grin, "I can tell that you come from a long line of people with spiritual powers."

Shippo's large green eyes widened as he whipped around to look at Kagome, "Is that true, Kagome?" he asked excitedly.

Kagome nodded proudly, "My family has been the caretaker of the Higurashi shrine for generations."

"Wow!" the kitsune exclaimed before turning to Aaralyn, "What about you?"

"Me?" Aaralyn puffed out her chest slightly, "I'm descended from Cu Roi himself."

"Cu who?" asked Shippo.

"Cu Roi," Aaralyn chuckled, "He was a shape shifter and sorcerer who lived many centuries ago; a very powerful magician who is famous for the roles he played in the rise and fall of many kingdoms," she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "But mostly he's famous for being a trickster and a lecher."

Only Inuyasha noticed the lone saimyosho hovering about the tree line; it buzzed carefully out of range for a few minutes and then flew west. The hanyou growled quietly at the retreating insect until it disappeared into the sunset. That settles it!

He stood angrily and turned towards Aaralyn who was entertaining Shippo with a tale about her auspicious ancestor, "I know what you're doing," he growled threateningly.

Aaralyn took a deep breath, tasting the bitter jyaki that was thickening the air around her. What's crawled up his ass now? She turned her head to look at the incensed hanyou; her face was passive but her eyes were as cold and hard as steel and her voice matched, "All I'm doing is telling Shippo a story. Or at least I _was_ until you interrupted." Her words were deliberately articulated.

The hackles rose on the back of Inuyasha's neck and he snarled at her. She was challenging him. Like hell he was gonna let that slide again! He flexed his claws.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried in alarm. She wasn't alone in her surprise. Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara all stared at the hanyou as if he'd lost his mind.

Inuyasha ignored them and continued to focus on Aaralyn, "You missed the messenger, but I'm sure he'll be back," he sneered.

"Messenger," she repeated skeptically.

"Keh," Inuyasha spat, "Don't play dumb. Your master sent a saimyosho to check up on you!"

Aaralyn's gaze deepened to a glare, "You assume much, Inuyasha. I have no master, and I don't even know what a saimyosho is."

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha shouted at her.

"Inuyasha, be reasonable!" Miroku chastised him, "One saimyosho isn't proof of anything. It was probably sent to find the shard we just collected."

"Naraku would've needed a swarm to take down that boar," Inuyasha shouted back, "but it's not the first time he sent someone to gain our trust so they could stab us in the back!"

Sango winced at that. Her brother Kohaku had been under Naraku's control for a long time now, and there was a time when Naraku had made Kohaku earn the group's trust and then ordered him to kill them. There were other instances too, people who had been possessed by Kanna's mirror, Naraku's manipulation of Mussou to capture Kagome…Naraku always took hostages to do his dirty work. It was definitely Naraku's style. Could it be possible that this strange girl is also a pawn of Naraku?

"Be that as it may," the monk continued, "this is a serious accusation, Inuyasha. Do you have any proof?"

"She suppresses her aura," the hanyou replied as though that one statement would resolve all questions.

Miroku's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, "While that is highly interesting, it proves nothing."

"It means she's HIDING something! Isn't that OBVIOUS?" Inuyasha bellowed, wheeling around to face the monk, "I dunno what the hell she is! She ain't human, she ain't demon, and she ain't hanyou! She just appears outta nowhere and gives us a fairy story about a giant bird, she hides her aura from us, she senses jewel shards, all of a sudden a jewel shard just lands in our laps, and Naraku's checkin' up on her! She's on Naraku's side, for fuck's sake! Why can't any of you see that?"

The hanyou rounded on Aaralyn, "He sent you to kill Kagome, didn't he?" Inuyasha snarled, "You'll hafta go through me to do it!" He crouched in a defensive position, his fingers wrapped tightly around Tetsusaiga's hilt.

The camp was silent. Everyone was stunned by Inuyasha's outburst, but at the same time they couldn't help but wait silently for Aaralyn's answer; what if it was true? What if she really was there to betray them?

Inuyasha glared at her, waiting for her to make a move.

"You really believe that, don't you, Inuyasha?" Aaralyn asked rhetorically, an odd, unreadable expression across her face.

Before he could say anything in response she gave a very soft, grim chuckle and slowly shook her head. "You'd think I'd be used to this by now," she said so softly that only Kirara, Shippo and Inuyasha heard her, "Little fool," she chided herself just a quietly.

Aaralyn turned to face Inuyasha in one slow, fluid motion. Her movements betrayed no malice as she took one step forward, then another, then another until she stood directly in front of Inuyasha. She drew herself to her full height, dwarfing the silver haired hanyou.

"Tell me something, Inuyasha," Aaralyn began, her voice soft and sad, "What do you know about me? What do you know about my life? What do you know about the hardships I've suffered or the dangers I've survived?"

Inuyasha did not answer.

Aaralyn shook her head softly as blue-gray swelled in her aura, "You know nothing about me, Inuyasha. If you wanted me to leave you could have said so. You didn't have to insult me."

Without another word she bowed casually to the others and began to walk away from them.

"Aaralyn," Kagome shouted, "Aaralyn! Come back!"

Aaralyn didn't pause or look back. She continued walking as if she hadn't heard Kagome's voice at all.

Inuyasha was stunned. Had he been wrong? She didn't attack. She didn't accuse. She didn't even defend herself. Then again she was heading west; the same direction from which the boar had entered and the saimyosho exited. Then again, she seemed to have released her control over her aura and scent, and he hadn't seen or scented anything suspicious. And that blue gray color he'd seen in her aura… she was disappointed in him. Dammit. If she was with Naraku she'd get away, and if she wasn't with Naraku she'd be defenseless by herself. Either way he should stop her, but the sun was almost set, and tonight would be the night of the new moon. In a few minutes he would be absolutely powerless, so if she really was with Naraku she'd tell him about his human night. It was just too much of a risk. It'd be better to let her go.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open as he realized she was walking away with HIS haori.

"OI!" he shouted, "Don't forget you're still wearing my clothes, bitch! OW!" he exclaimed as a bundle of red and green thwapped him somewhat painfully in the face. He caught them as they fell and looked up to see Aaralyn still walking away, only with noticeably less clothing. Her only garment was the pink and yellow polka dotted pair of panties that Kagome had given to her.

"Aaralyn," Kagome shouted in desperation, "Aaralyn!" It was no use. The red head continued putting one foot in front of another, slowly disappearing into the distance.

"Let'er go, Kagome," Inuyasha started.

He never got the opportunity to finish. Kagome rounded on him with fire in her eyes.

"OSUWARI!" she shouted, activating the spell that crushed him to the ground, "Why did you do that? What were you thinking, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha snarled up at her, "Shut up! Nobody asked you!"

"That's right! You didn't ask me!" Kagome shouted, "You didn't ask me because you didn't care!" Pearly orchid miko energy began to seep into her aura, overshadowing the bright crimson rage which thrashed wildly, "And you know what? You STILL don't care! You don't care that Aaralyn is, at this very second, walking into a forest inhabited almost entirely by youkai just before dark, alone, and practically naked! You might as well have killed her yourself!"

Inuyasha leapt up, having been released from the spell. It wasn't true. He did care, but if he was right and she was with Naraku then they were all as good as dead with her around. Why couldn't she see that?

"I said SHUT UP, Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, "You don't understand!"

"I don't understand?" Kagome asked. Her tone was low and deadly. Opalescent energy snapped and crackled around her, growing larger and louder by the second as the glared at Inuyasha, "I don't UNDERSTAND?"

Aaralyn shuddered as she felt hot anger enmeshed with the raw power of Kagome's miko abilities. She paused, allowing curiosity to get the best of her, and let wave after wave of Kagome's energy wash over her. She closed her eyes and focused on that odd wisp in Kagome's essence that had eluded her the day before…ah! Aaralyn's eyes snapped open. A piece of her soul was missing! How was that even possible? She zeroed in on that empty space with renewed fervor. Yes, it's just a thin sliver, but it was definitely missing!

A sudden spike in Kagome's power caught her attention. She peered over her shoulder at Kagome and the brightly glowing orchid that thundered through her aura, drowning out all other colors. Her power was still wild and untrained and growing out of her control. Kagome was livid, and Inuyasha was the reason.

That's when Aaralyn's gift flared to life. Her eyelids dropped down, and her silver eyes began to glow until they looked almost white. The scene played out before her eyes in a moment, and she shivered as she felt the pain, terror and guilt that was about to occur. It ended as quickly as it began, her feet once more on solid ground.

"Shit!" She whispered, wide eyed, as she ran back towards the group, heedless of her present state of undress.

"I don't UNDERSTAND?" Kagome shouted, "I understand enough to know you're a total jerk, Inuyasha!"

"Kagome," Aaralyn shouted as she loped towards them, "don't do it!"

But Kagome didn't hear her. Kagome was completely focused on Inuyasha.

"O-SU-WA-RI!" she shouted, emphasizing each syllable. The prayer beads around Inuyasha's neck glowed the pearly orchid of Kagome's miko energy and flattened him to the ground. Kagome watched him coldly, waiting for him to spew his usual string of curses and insults so that she could osuwari him again, but instead he began to shout; not the angry indignant outburst she expected, but cries of genuine pain and terror, growing in volume and intensity by the second. The orchid glow from the prayer beads had spread out over his entire body, pressing down on him with exponentially increasing force.

Kagome began to panic. What was happening to Inuyasha? She couldn't see his face. Why was the spell hurting him? _Make it stop! Somebody make it stop!_

"MAKE IT STOP!" Kagome shrieked.

"Kagome," Aaralyn said firmly, placing her hand on the panicking miko's shoulder, "I think I can help, but I need you to calm down if it's going to work," her gentle but firm tone brooked no argument, "do you understand?"

Kagome nodded and tried to pull herself together despite the waves of panic that were screaming inside of her.

Aaralyn knelt down next to Inuyasha, gritted her teeth, and grasped the prayer beads. Instantly the orchid glow that had covered Inuyasha consumed Aaralyn instead and his screams stopped. Aaralyn closed her eyes and took several slow, deep breaths as the pink energy burned angrily around her. Slowly, the glow of purification energy faded leaving behind no trace. Aaralyn let go of the prayer beads and hunched over, breathing deeply.

Kagome rushed over to where Inuyasha lay.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she knelt down beside him, "I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened. I'm so sorry," she babbled.

"Keh! Doesn't hurt," he lied.

At that moment the sun finally sank. Inuyasha's white hair grew dark and his pointy canine ears moved to the sides of his head and became human ears. His golden eyes became violet and his claws dulled into fingernails.

Kagome gasped. It was the night of the new moon; the one night each month which dispelled his youkai blood and left him human. So that was what he meant when he said she didn't understand. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to protect them. Oh, gods she felt like such an idiot!

Grimacing, Inuyasha slowly forced himself into a sitting position and turned to face Aaralyn.

"Oi," he started.

However he never got the opportunity to finish since at this point he finally noticed that Aaralyn was still virtually naked.

"Gah!" he exclaimed as he quickly turned away, "Put some goddamn clothes on!"

Neesan: Sister

Mhadra: Gaelic for dog

Inuyoukai: Dog demon

Umai: You

Saimyosho: Naraku's poisonous insects

((A/N: Alright! Stay tuned, kids. Next chapter's going to be equal parts exposition and action. Please read and review!))


	3. Good Intentions

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Kagome sat by herself.

She looked over her shoulder at the lump curled up in her sleeping bag. Inuyasha. He never slept on his human night; he felt too vulnerable. Yet there he was, completely dead to the world. Her heart sank. She must have really hurt him. He'd tried to act like he wasn't in pain, but he couldn't hide it. He couldn't even stand. Then again, he did manage to throw an impressive temper tantrum when she suggested they rest in the nearby village. It was the last village before they reached Inuyasha's forest.

'Oh, fuck no!' the human Inuyasha had said with a scowl, 'I ain't goin' nowhere like this!' No amount of pleading or reasoning could change his mind. He was so stubborn!

Kagome frowned. Why did this have to happen right before the night of the new moon? If he were hanyou his youkai blood would be healing him right now. Instead he had to lie there and suffer. And it was her fault.

"Kagome chan?" Sango called softly as she approached the melancholy girl, "Are you alright?"

"Mm. I'm fine," Kagome lied. There was no reason to make the others worry.

"Are you sure?" Sango asked. She wasn't fooled. Kagome was a poor liar.

"Yes. I just need a little time," Kagome answered through a wan smile.

Sango frowned. Her miko friend looked so miserable. No doubt she felt responsible for what happened to Inuyasha.

"It's late. You haven't slept at all, Kagome," Sango prodded.

"I'm not tired," Kagome answered quietly.

"It'll be dawn in a few hours," Sango protested, gesturing towards the horizon.

The sullen young woman only shrugged in response.

Sango couldn't think of anything else to say, but she really didn't want to leave Kagome alone. The silence between them grew.

"I know!" Sango exclaimed, "How about a nice soak in the onsen?" That ought to do it. That area was absolutely littered with onsen. In fact if she recalled correctly there should be a big one about a mile to the east.

"Well…" Kagome started. A soak did sound nice. The last two days had been VERY stressful. And her hair was starting to get really gross… Maybe visiting the onsen wouldn't hurt. Her expression soured when she remembered the peeping monk. "Who's going to watch Miroku?" Kagome asked, "Inuyasha usually keeps him away while we bathe and..."

"Don't worry about the monk. I'll keep him here," Sango offered.

"But I don't want to go alone, Sango," Kagome objected, "Maybe I should just forget about it."

"Why don't you take Aaralyn with you?" suggested Sango, determined to convince Kagome to take a good soul-soothing soak, "You must be itching to talk to her."

Kagome turned to look at Aaralyn, who was once again in the fire rat robe and green skirt. That didn't sound like a bad idea. She had many questions about the girl that had yet to be answered. And it was Aaralyn who saved Inuyasha after all.

"Alright," Kagome finally conceded, "Thanks Sango," she added with a grin.

Sango nodded with a smile before casting wary eyes on Miroku. If that pervert though he was going to peep at Kagome and Aaralyn, he had another thing coming. She marched towards him, her shoulders squared with determination.

When Kagome had gathered her bathing essentials and returned, she found Aaralyn sitting Indian style by the campfire. She was watching the fire slowly lick away at the logs that fed it, and she occasionally sprinkled a handful of grass onto the flames and watching them shrivel and crackle into nothing.

Kagome cleared her throat to get the statuesque red head's attention. Aaralyn's silver eyes darted up in response

"Do you want to go to the onsen with me?" Kagome asked shyly.

Aaralyn began to smile at the thought, but her expression withered into a glare of suspicion as she quirked an eyebrow in Miroku's direction.

"Don't worry about him," Kagome whispered conspiratorially, "Sango's babysitting."

"Oh? Well she won't be bored at the very least," Aaralyn answered with a smirk, "I'm sure he'll keep her occupied."

As if on cue, a cry of "Hentai!" rang loudly through the clearing followed closely by a resounding slap! Inuyasha shifted in his sleep and Kirara lifted her head to glare groggily at the lecherous monk.

Stifling their laughter, the miko and the seer made their way towards the onsen.

"Aaaah!" Kagome sighed, settling into the spring up to her neck, "It just feels soooo good to soak!" Her hair was twisted up and pinned to the top of her head, so as not to lose the freshly applied conditioner in the mineral-rich waters of the onsen. Her eyes were closed as she luxuriated in the warmth. Aaralyn sat on a large rock across from her. Mimicking the techniques she had seen Kagome use minutes before, Aaralyn smoothed the iridescent liquid through her blood-red locks as they flowed down her figure to float gently in the water below. Kagome was surprised to see how long Aaralyn's hair became when it was wet. It reached her hips when it was dry, but when the water unfurled her abundant curls they reached all the way to the back of her knees; no mean feat when you consider just how tall she was. Kagome was always amazed by just how red Aaralyn's hair was. It was the same color as the rabbit's wife in that American movie with the cigar smoking baby…she'd never understand Americans. They were just too weird!

Kagome's thoughts clouded with memories of earlier. She snuck a glance at Aaralyn, who sat weaving her long scarlet hair into a tight braid.

"So Aaralyn," Kagome began, unsure of how to broach the subject, "I, um… I'm sorry about, you know, what Inuyasha said."

"Don't apologize, Kagome," Aaralyn answered, "If anyone apologizes it should be Inuyasha," a wry lopsided smile crept onto her face, "But somehow, I get the feeling I shouldn't hold my breath."

"Bingo," Kagome said with a thin chuckle, "I only got an apology out of him once, and it was over a broken alarm clock, of all things."

Kagome became silent as thoughts of Inuyasha being crushed beneath her powers pressed against her mind.

"Why did that have to happen?" Kagome mused sullenly. Her deep sapphire eyes widened as she thought of something else, "What if it happens again? What if he gets hurt every time I subdue him from now on?"

Aaralyn turned her silvery eyes towards Kagome, "I don't think that's likely," she answered softly, "I've never seen you summon so much of your energy at once," she said as though it would explain everything.

Noting the look of confusion in Kagome's eyes, Aaralyn backtracked and tried again, "Those beads that are around his neck, they're the medium for your subjugation spell, correct?"

Kagome nodded slowly.

"And your subjugation spell is a miko ability, correct?" the young seer pressed.

Kagome nodded again.

"Then the energy that performs the spell is _your _energy; _your_ power of purification," Aaralyn added emphatically, "Therefore, the more power you gather when you say the word, the stronger your spell will be."

Kagome nodded but said nothing, so Aaralyn continued on.

"Until now I've only felt your surface energy subdue Inuyasha, but this time you summoned much more than usual. That energy poured into the beads as soon as you activated the spell," Aaralyn explained patiently, "Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded solemnly and hung her head, "It _is_ my fault."

Aaralyn sighed heavily as she looked at the forlorn young woman, wondering if this was how Keiji jii felt whenever she had thrown herself a pity party.

"The blame game has no winners, Kagome," Aaralyn said firmly.

Kagome's brows furrowed, "What does that mean?"

Keiji jii used to say that to me," Aaralyn explained as she relaxed down into the water. "It means that assigning blame won't fix the problem or prevent it from happening again."

Kagome looked up at Aaralyn and nodded silently at the truth in her words, even if she didn't truly accept them. She wasn't ready to forgive herself just yet. Even so, Aaralyn brought up a valid point. She needed to keep herself from hurting Inuyasha, and was willing to do anything to make sure he was safe, even if it meant taking off the beads…not that she wanted that. The subjugation spell definitely had its advantages.

"How do I keep it from happening again?" she asked, hoping that Aaralyn would have an answer for that as well.

"Well, "Aaralyn mused, "No offense, but it's obvious that you've had little to no training in controlling your abilities, and, as we've seen, that can be dangerous," her silver eyes met Kagome's own stormy blue orbs, "You have a great deal of untapped power within you, Kagome, and I can feel it changing; growing. I could feel it the first time we met. I think it's time you found someone to help you train your miko abilities."

Kagome nodded solemnly. She too had begun to feel that it was time for her to learn. Their enemies were becoming more and more dangerous. Everyone else was training hard in order to meet those new challenges and she…she was just treading water.

"Maybe Kaede could teach me," Kagome thought out loud, "She's the village miko," she added when Aaralyn arched an eyebrow inquisitively.

Aaralyn nodded in acknowledgement, then leaned back and closed her eyes, luxuriating in the hot water.

The two girls had been quiet for a few minutes, just relaxing in the water when Kagome broke the silence.

"I wanted to thank you, Aaralyn," she said.

"Hmm?" Aaralyn asked, cracking open one eye, "What did I do?"

"You saved Inuyasha," she answered softly, "Thank you."

Aaralyn flashed Kagome a toothy grin, "You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to help."

"How did you do it?" Kagome asked eagerly.

"Well," Aaralyn began, "It turns out both of our bloodline magicks are emotion driven at the basic level. Because of that I was able to assimilate some of your energy."

"Assimilate? You mean you absorbed my power?" Kagome asked, surprised and slightly unnerved at the thought of someone being able to leech her power.

"No, not at all," Aaralyn replied, shaking her head, "When I touched the rosary beads I channeled your energy into myself and mixed my power in with it to dilute it. Doing that allowed me disperse it without serious consequence."

"I see," Kagome said, "Did it hurt?"

"Nope, not even a little bit."

"Good." Kagome watched Aaralyn through one eye. She still knew next to nothing about her, yet the red head seemed to know an awful lot about her. And there were so many questions to ask…

"Aaralyn?" she began, "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," the red head replied with a smirk.

Kagome blinked in surprise, "Erm…"

Aaralyn chuckled at Kagome's uncertainty, "Go ahead."

"Tell me about yourself," Kagome asked shyly, "Where did you grow up?"

Aaralyn shifted as she held her long braid on the top of her head, "Some little village that didn't even have a name. There's really not much to tell. We kept to ourselves mostly; I was never out of my Mother's sight," she answered.

"What about your father?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious.

"What about him?" Aaralyn dodged.

"What was he like?" Kagome pressed.

"Hell if I know," Aaralyn responded, rolling her eyes, "I never met the guy, and Mother never talked about him." She leaned forward and winked, "I suppose that makes me a bastard."

"Oh," said Kagome, unsure how to respond, she moved on "What was it like growing up in your village?"

Aaralyn drew in a deep breath through her nose as she considered how to answer, "Boring," she decided out loud, "Comparatively speaking. No giant snakes or possessed baubles or pissed off half demons to speak of," she answered dryly.

"Sounds nice," Kagome chuckled.

"It would have been," Aaralyn mused, "If we hadn't been the village scapegoats. Everything was our fault." She counted her grievances on long, calloused fingers as she continued, "The flood, the drought, the headman's cattle being unable to conceive… you get the picture."

"But why?" Kagome asked, her eyes brimming with compassion and curiosity.

Aaralyn paused as she considered her answer, "I wasn't the only one in the village who thought I was illegitimate," she replied.

"They mistreated you because of that?" Kagome asked gently.

"Understatement of the century," Aaralyn huffed, "I'd have been dead long ago if it wasn't for Mhadra."

"Mhadra?" Kagome inquired.

Aaralyn hesitated. In her dream Keiji jii was an earth sprite who disguised himself as Mhadra in order to protect her. She was still unsure whether her dream was a vision or simply a dream.

"Mhadra was my dog," she answered with a shrug, "He was with us as long as I can remember. If I wasn't with Mother, I was to be with Mhadra. He protected me."

"Was it really that dangerous?" Kagome asked, "Would they really have hurt you?"

Aaralyn nodded silently, her lips pressed into a tight line. "As I said," she intoned quietly, "I'd have been dead long ago if it wasn't for Mhadra."

Kagome stared incredulously, "Are you serious? You were just a kid!"

"Try telling that to them," The red head snorted, "Any one of them would have told you that I was the spawn of the very devil"

"Is that why you left and went to sea?"

"It's much more complex than that," Aaralyn hesitantly answered, "My mother didn't escape that village with Mhadra and me, and even Mhadra left me before too long."

Kagome stifled a gasp as she realized the implications of that statement. She had said that her mother was had died, but if the villagers truly meant them harm, did that mean the villagers had killed her? The young miko peered intently at Aaralyn, whose aura was bleeding grief and bitter anger, but it was the guilt which twitched through the other colors that surprised her.

"Why do you feel so guilty?" Kagome asked before clamping her hands over her mouth in horror. Did she really just say that out loud? That was totally inappropriate!

Aaralyn chuckled a little at Kagome's reaction and smirked in her direction.

"So you _can_ discern auras," Aaralyn said playfully, making a mental note to keep a tighter leash on it when around the young Miko, "I wondered, you know."

Kagome chuckled nervously, recovering from her faux pas, "I would have told you, if you asked."

"That's nice to know," Aaralyn said with a wink before she leaned back again to relax in the water.

Kagome's heart ached as she looked at her new companion. She'd been through so much. And her story was so much like Inuyasha's; She and her mother were treated cruelly, and then her mother was killed, leaving her to fend for herself in a world that despises and fears all that it does not understand.

Ebony eyebrows frowned over smoky blue eyes. It wasn't fair. Why did things like that have to happen? Why did people feel the need to be so destructive and hurtful? How could they be so callous? Kagome's frown deepened as she thought about all the suffering she'd encountered over the years, inflicted by human and youkai alike: families broken, lives destroyed, countless score of innocents enduring so much… war, famine, plague, bandits, rampaging youkai, daimyo and other torpid, unsympathetic nobility who held the power of life and death over the peasantry…

She was shocked out of her reverie when a stream of water hit her forehead dead center and trickled down her face.

"Earth to Kagome," Aaralyn called teasingly, squeezing another jet of water from her folded hands, "Where were you?" she asked with a smile.

A little annoyed at being ripped so suddenly from such serious thoughts, Kagome answered tersely, "I was wondering why you avoided telling me why you felt so guilty."

She felt bad as soon as she said it. After all, it wasn't her place to try and force answers out of Aaralyn. One of these days she was really going to have to learn to control her temper.

Aaralyn, far from being offended by Kagome's insistence, nodded at her. She figured that if Kagome was tenacious enough to pursue the answer then she deserved one. And maybe... maybe she really did want to talk about it. She'd never told anyone what happened, except for Keiji jii. Maybe it was time for her to let it out.

"It's a long story," Aaralyn warned, fixing her silver eyes on Kagome.

Kagome felt relief wash over her as she realized the tall girl was not angry with her, and was even willing to open up to her a little.

"We've got all night," Kagome replied encouragingly as she positioned herself beside Aaralyn and began unraveling her loose braid and so that she could weave it together more tightly.

Aaralyn sighed as she began, "The first time I ever had a vision it was in front of the headman's children. Scared the shit out of 'em" she added with a soft chuckle.

Kagome said nothing, though she winced slightly at her bad language. Maybe Aaralyn was more like Inuyasha than she initially thought. She separated the vibrant locks into three sections and began to braid while waiting patiently for the seer to continue.

"They, of course, told their parents. At first their stories were dismissed as foolishness; childhood flights of fancy, but soon the women began to gossip. It started as a joke, but they began calling me a changeling."

"A what?" Kagome interrupted.

"A changeling," Aaralyn continued, "In Ireland we say that when someone looks at a baby enviously, that child falls within the powers of the fey. A fey could then come and take the child, leaving one of their own in its place: It could be an elf, a troll, a faerie, even a sprite or pixie. Sometimes they don't even leave a baby, just an enchanted stick that looks like your child but gets sick and dies in a few days. They say that there are many ways to get your child back. Some say that if you put the child into fire or hold them under water will their real parent will come and take their child back and leave you yours. Others say that if you can trick the changeling into speaking then your baby will be returned to you and the changeling will go back to where it belongs."

"So they thought you were a fey child?" Kagome asked as she wrapped her mind around the concept, horrified that someone could even thing about burning or drowning a baby, whether it was theirs or not.

Mmm," Aaralyn affirmed with a nod, "Though 'wicked pagan sprite' and 'little monster' seemed to be the preferred ways of referring to me. Calling me a changeling may have started as a joke, but over the years the gossip was repeated so often that the humor was forgotten. That's when the real trouble started. When I was ten, there was a terrible drought. We barely managed to scrape by," Aaralyn's face darkened, "They blamed us. I had always felt separate from the village before that year. I hated the way they ignored Mother and me_,_" she scoffed, "I learned too late that their attention was something we were better off without. That winter we nearly starved; the other villagers refused to trade with us. Mother lost so much weight. She sacrificed so much of her own food so that I could be full. Hell, I think we _would_ have starved if it weren't for Mhadra. He went away at night, and when he came back it was always with a rabbit or other such animal for us."

Kagome stopped braiding, her stormy eyes clouding over with righteous anger.

"That's terrible!" she exclaimed, "How could they do that?"

Aaralyn just shrugged, "They were only human," she answered, repeating without conviction what Keiji jii had told her time and time again, "But you know," she began, "That winter, some part of me wished I really was a changeling, just so that I wouldn't be human like them."

Kagome didn't know what to say and so silently continued braiding.

"The next year they got all the rain they wanted and more," she chuckled bitterly, "There was so much that the crops rotted in the fields. The local lord demanded more crops that year since the previous year's harvest was so pitiful. The rain just kept coming and coming, and each time it rained the villagers got just a little more frightened; a little angrier. The headman's wife was a one woman gossip factory. She was bitter because her pig of a husband _wanted_ Mother," Aaralyn explained, disgust marring her features.

"She said all sorts of things about us: that we were the cause of their suffering, that we had cursed them all to death, that because Mother had never burned or drowned me and had instead accepted me, I must not be a changeling but instead an abomination. A nephilim," Aaralyn pronounced the word as if it tasted bad, "My height and hair color didn't help. Those lies drove the villagers mad. Soon it was so bad I wasn't even allowed to leave the hut."

Kagome frowned, "What's a nephilim? And what does your hair color have to do with anything?"

"Nephilim are in the bible. They were a race of giants that came about when a woman had a child with a demon, "Aaralyn turned to Kagome and grasped a lock of hair that had yet to be braided, "And as for the hair color, there was a _charming_ saying about that. 'If he is red-haired, he is of the devil.' They say that children of the devil were red haired because they were conceived during the mother's menstrual period," she explained, scorn evident in her voice,

Kagome finished her braiding and slowly tied off the end with a black elastic band, the anger and sorrow that roiled off of Aaralyn softly echoing in her own heart. She remained silent, feeling that her interruption would be unwelcome.

Aaralyn took a deep breath and continued, "I haven't seen my mother since I was eleven. The last time I saw her it wasn't even with my own eyes," Aaralyn said, "That night I had a vision. I watched Mother walk home from tending our personal crops. She was upset because although we were accused of cursing everyone else's crops, our own were not exempt from the destruction. We had almost nothing. It began to rain. Two men appeared. They were drunk. They saw Mother and began to circle her like a couple of vultures. They called her a pagan whore. They said that maybe the reason she'd chosen to screw a demon was because she'd never 'had a real man.' They attacked her. They beat her. They raped her," her voice was cold and dangerous, "And then they killed her. And then they came for me."

Aaralyn paused and swallowed thickly. She continued on, her voice soft, "I can still feel my bones breaking, feel their fists crack my jaw, feel the knife…" she stopped talking suddenly and reached her hand up to touch the skin of her pale throat.

Kagome wanted to tell Aaralyn that she didn't have to say anymore if she didn't want to; that everything was okay, but she was too horrified to speak.

"I …" Aaralyn began to tremble, "I ran. I ran away with Mhadra without even going to look for her. I chose to save my own miserable skin even after all she did for me; all she sacrificed. If it wasn't for me they would have left her alone. She might have found a husband and had a normal child. She might have lived if it weren't for me. It was my fault. I might as well have killed her myself."

Aaralyn suddenly felt arms around her and tensed at the unexpected contact. She looked up to find Kagome embracing her, tears streaming down her face, "I'm so sorry you went through all that," Kagome sobbed, "None of it was your fault. From what you told me it sounds like your mother loved you very much, and I'm sure she would hate to see you blaming yourself like this!"

Aaralyn was taken aback. Who was this girl that she sympathized with her so much? And what had she done to earn the miko's pity? She should push Kagome away. She knew better than to become attached to people. People betray. People hurt. People destroy. Then again, Kagome had been the one to stand up for her when the others were willing to let her walk away.

She gently pulled herself away from Kagome's hug and smiled gently at her confusion. Internal conflict aside, she was just plain uncomfortable with that much physical contact.

"Thank you, Kagome," Aaralyn said, truly grateful for her compassion.

"Anytime," Kagome said, still wishing she could do more to comfort the girl. She'd been through so much. No wonder she reacted like she did when Inuyasha accused her of being an enemy. She slipped all the way beneath the water and rinsed her hair, giving Aaralyn a few moments to compose herself. She tried to imagine what it would be like to have everyone hate her enough to kill her; to have her only family ripped from her at such a young age… Her own father had been murdered, shot down in cold blood by some would-be gang member on the streets of Tokyo. She knew well the hatred and anger that accompany such things, but she had her mother and her brother there to comfort her. She had to be strong for them as they were strong for her. They supported each other and eventually came to forgive the man who had stolen her father from them.

Aaralyn had no one but herself. She said even her dog had left her in the end.

Kagome thought about how that must have destroyed Aaralyn inside, to have to see her mother be raped and murdered in, to see and feel herself die. It all seemed too cruel. Somehow, Aaralyn had twisted her decision to leave the village into a betrayal equivalent to murder. Perhaps she pulled away because she felt she was not worthy of comfort. Perhaps Aaralyn had lost her faith in all humanity. Perhaps Kagome could help change her mind.

Kagome jumped as she felt tingle of magick ripple across her skin and was about to resurface when Aaralyn's large hand grasped her by the arm and tugged her up out of the water.

"Aaralyn, what's," she froze as she saw the red head's face. Her eyes were as cold and hard as steel and her expression was murderous. She was glaring southwards, her lips curled up into a snarl, her growl rivaling Inuyasha's.

"We need to leave right now," was all Aaralyn said. She'd had a vision while Kagome was under water, and she did not like what she had seen. She didn't know how long they had before it started happening. She only knew she had to get Kagome out of there!

Kagome gasped at Aaralyn's seriousness and nodded once before wading towards the shallow end of the onsen. The ebon haired miko quickly slipped on her panties, bra, and skirt, and had one arm in her blouse when a soft chuckle laced with unmistakable malice broke through the clearing. She turned around slowly. Aaralyn was ankle deep in the onsen standing protectively in front of her, wearing the fire rat haori and the green sarong, and glaring viciously at the four figures which appeared at the tree line, a predatory gleam in their eyes.

"Kagome," Aaralyn said to get the miko's attention, her voice deceptively soft, "Go. I'll keep them busy until you get back with the others."

A fluid voice chuckled at the opposite end of the onsen, "Yes, little one, I'm sure you'll keep us _very_ busy." A young man with a noble appearance stepped into view. His clothes were made of fine cloth and his hair was polished and arranged fashionably. He would have almost been handsome if it weren't for the ugly sneer he wore.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Go? Leave Aaralyn there so that those men can… She shuddered, unable to finish the thought.

"No way," Kagome hissed, pulling her shirt the rest of the way over her head, "I'm not leaving you here alone. We'll both run for it!"

A rough voice chuckled maliciously, its owner still cloaked in the darkness beneath the trees. "Run or stay; it makes little difference. The end result will be the same."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Matsu," came a second voice, softer, but more evil, "I like it when they run."

A deep gravelly voice rumbled in amusement, "Two beauties dripping wet and all alone. We should come here more often."

A chorus of bad-natured laughter followed his remark, chilling Kagome to the bone.

Aaralyn turned her silver eyes to Kagome without moving her head, "Go!" she growled, "We don't have time to argue!"

"No!" Kagome protested. She opened her mouth to say more, but she suddenly found herself in a very odd position. Aaralyn had grasped the front of her blouse and had yanked her up to eye level, leaving her dangling at least a foot in the air.

"Run. The fuck. Away. Or I swear to God, Kagome, I'll kick your ass myself when this is over," Aaralyn growled, her eyes taking on a feral gleam, "I've held my own against worse odds. These mindless swine present a significantly lesser threat."

"Mindless swine?" echoed the young lord, annoyance apparent in his voice, "It sounds to me like you need to learn respect for your betters," he said with a sneer as he beckoned lazily over his shoulder, "Hurry up," he snapped as three figures stepped out of the darkness, "Bring her to me," the young lord ordered, sounding bored.

"And what of the other?" asked one man, the malice in his aura making Kagome shiver.

The lordling rolled his eyes, "What do I care how you amuse yourselves?" he responded tersely.

Leering fiendishly, the three men slowly advanced on Kagome and Aaralyn.

"Run, Kagome," Aaralyn ground out as she mentally prepared herself for the upcoming fight, "On the count of now!"

When Kagome hesitated, Aaralyn wheeled around with a growl and bopped her on the head, looking eerily like Inuyasha chastising Shippo.

"OW!" Kagome yelped.

"There's a down payment on your ass-kicking! Now get moving!" Aaralyn yelled at her.

"Oi, oi," A first man called, brandishing an expensive looking and well polished bo staff, "Is that any way to treat my little treat?"

Aaralyn growled, "Leave her out of this, you piece of shit! Your boss told you to bring me to him, and I doubt very much that he's a man of abounding patience."

"Feisty little wench, aren't you?" he retorted, lips parted in a cruel sneer, "Let's see how spirited you are after we get through with you." He watched her, filled with bestial anticipation, waiting for fear and panic to fill her eyes and cow her spirit. He watched the fire in her silver orbs freeze, but not with fear. Her anger had turned cold at his words, but she did not look away. She held his eyes with hers, and her chilling gaze sent a shiver down his spine.

"Try it." She challenged softly, still crouched in a defensive stance, her voice betraying no emotion.

She had no fear. Keiji jii had taught her: Fear is nothing but your mind reacting to danger. Fear is your body trying to decide whether to fight or run away. Aaralyn had chosen to fight.

She had no anger. Keiji jii had taught her: Fighting angry is no better than fighting drunk. Anger isn't strength or power in a fight. It clouds your judgment and makes you think you're more powerful than you are. She had quelled her anger the moment that vulgar fool had threatened her.

Something in Aaralyn's eyes caused her assailant to clench his hands tighter around his staff, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. How then did this lone bitch, standing unarmed and outnumbered, make him taste fear? His eyes narrowed. She would pay. He would make sure to crack a rib or two to start out, and then he would shatter one of her kneecaps so that she couldn't run away. Ah, yes. There were so many places he could strike that wouldn't damage her usefulness. He leapt into the water and dashed towards her. Just a few more steps and he would be able to teach that insolent cow respect. She still hadn't budged from that stance. Pah! The little fool had frozen. She had been bluffing after all. She would pay for that too.

Suddenly he was blinded by water. His thoughts had caused him to become distracted momentarily, and she had made her move.

The man was astounded. She had _splashed_ him? That was it? Did she truly think she could defeat him with a little water? The arrogant little sow! He reacted almost immediately, swinging his staff with all his might to strike the place where Aaralyn had stood just moments before, and he was rewarded with more water being thrown in his face as his weapon struck the rippling surface of the onsen. Wiping the water from his eyes, he looked up to see only Kagome standing nervously near the edge of the hot spring. Aaralyn was gone.

The man stood still for a few seconds, slowly looking Kagome up and down, watching her squirm, enjoying her fear.

"So after all that bravado, she deserted you, eh?" he mocked, his foul gaze lingered on Kagome's curves as he began to walk towards her, "I suppose we'll just have to work you twice as hard to make up for it."

Sssssshk

The man froze as he felt cold steel being pressed to his throat; his skin pressed against the razor edge with each heartbeat, his pulse ticking against the blade. Aaralyn stood behind him, menacing him with his own weapon; the long dagger that had hung from his hip mere moments before.

"Drop your weapon," Aaralyn demanded. The man complied immediately, leaving the bo staff to float harmlessly on the surface of the onsen, safely out of his reach.

Behind them the largest man roared with laughter, "Ha! Bested by an unarmed woman-child!"

Aaralyn's captive snarled, unable to turn for fear of having his throat slit.

Goro continued to laugh, "A little splash in the face and you completely lose track of her. She's a good foot taller than you and you lost sight of her! You didn't even catch her sneaking up behind you!" he guffawed, "So much for the great Matsu!"

Seething, Matsu hollered, "Fuck off, Goro!"

Aaralyn grabbed a handful of the man's hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to look upwards. He felt the dagger nick the skin on his throat and cringed at the sensation of blood trickling slowly down.

"This will be your only chance." Aaralyn spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure that her meaning was one hundred percent clear, "Tell them to withdraw and I will spare you."

Cold, amused laughter broke the silence. Aaralyn could feel the lordling's eyes on her, could see his jeering sneer although her back was turned to him.

"You seem to forget, little one that these men answer only to me. As long as I keep their pockets lined with gold, they'll obey my every command without question. Allow me to demonstrate!" With a flourish he snapped his fingers.

Kagome watched in wide-eyed horror as the two remaining men rushed at them, primal desire burning in their eyes.

Aaralyn sprang into action. She moved the knife away from Matsu's throat, and, before he had time to react, she brought the blade down into his left leg with all her might. The spray of blood as she jerked the knife free accented his screams, which were silenced a split second later when Aaralyn drove the hilt into his throat, crushing his larynx and his windpipe. He staggered backward from the blow and fell back onto one of the large stones that peeked from the water's surface. He leaned there on its rough surface, eyes wide and wild as he clawed as his throat.

The next thing Kagome knew Aaralyn had come up onto the grass and was roughly shoving her toward the tree line.

"Run, Kagome!" She shouted as she dodged a blow from a hairy fist.

This time Kagome did not argue. She turned around a few times, trying to remember which direction to go. West! That's where they had camped.

The shorter of the man grinned cleverly, speeding towards the retreating Kagome.

Kagome hadn't noticed that she had been followed, nor did she hear the man sneak up behind her as she hurriedly slipped on her shoes and dashed for the trees. She had to reach the camp. She had to get help! If only it were morning. Then Inuyasha would be hanyou again. He would've taken those thugs out without breaking a sweat. She glared at the horizon. Dawn was so close! But it would be okay. Sango and Miroku would more than even the odds.

"Leaving so soon, darling?" crooned a voice from her right. Startled, she whipped her head around, looking for its owner. She saw no one, but put on extra speed.

"My, what a fast little rabbit we are," purred the voice again, from her left this time.

Kagome felt as though her heart would beat right out of her chest. Her breath came in ragged gasps.

"Don't panic," she told herself, "Don't panic! Keep it together, Kagome!"

"Ka-go-me," he moaned into her ear, lingering on each syllable, "What a lovely name!"

Gasping in fright, Kagome ran faster, terror fueling her steps. She needed to calm down! She needed to breathe. She needed to get away! Without warning, Kagome zigged to her right in an attempt to evade her pursuer.

"You can't get away from me that way, precious," He mocked from the right.

No! She had run closer to him! She needed to escape!

She darted left fleeing from that scornful, sinister voice, only to run painfully into a solid object and be knocked back. While trying to regain her footing, she looked up in horror as she realized just what she had run into. Her assailant smiled a cruel smile, twisted amusement gleaming darkly in his eyes.

Kagome scrambled to her feet, and ran from him. Fear had driven all rational thought from her mind as she fled blindly, running away from the sound of his voice. When his voice rang out to her left, she ran right. When she heard him on her right, she ran left. Brush and branches whipped against her, tearing flesh and cloth alike as she fled, giving no consideration to where she was headed; her only thought was to escape from that hellish voice and the monstrous man it belonged to.

oOo

Aaralyn had been dodging blow after blow, hoping her opponent would tire, but after a few minutes it became clear that she would have to revise her strategy. Although she had the height advantage he had the advantage of endurance as well as strength; the thick man was built like a bull and covered with scars. And he was beginning to get annoyed. The sly girl had avoided every one of his punches. She was making him look weak. He ground his teeth at the thought. He would allow no one to make him look like a fool! He drew his blade, and prepared to charge her.

Aaralyn arched a coppery brow. What did he mean by drawing his weapon? Sure that first lunatic charged her with a staff, but a blunt weapon was a far cry from a sword. Surely he didn't mean to kill her; his patron clearly wanted her alive.  
"I like my women in one piece," the young lord warned in a nasal whine as though echoing her thoughts.

"I know that!" the scarred man snarled back as he slashed at Aaralyn.

She dodged his strike easily, and prepared to go on the offensive. She couldn't tire him out, but if she moved quickly enough she might be able to catch him by surprise.

She leapt towards the giant man, dodging his attacks. She sprang upwards, the dagger clasped in her hand, ready to slice into the brute's temple with all her strength, when he suddenly stepped deftly aside, avoiding her quicksilver strike. With all the precision of a master, he swung his sword, bringing the flat of his blade across her back, hurling her back down into the water of the spring, now murky with all the dirt they had kicked up.

Aaralyn stood slowly, her jaw clenched in pain. She frowned darkly, recalling how easily she had dodged his attacks just moments before. He had been taking it easy on her so as not to damage his master's prize. His scarred and disfigured face broke into a hideous sneer. "Don't think I'm the same as him." he said, gesturing to the form of the now dead man lying on the outcropping he had leaned against. He had suffocated on his own blood after she crushed his windpipe. "He underestimated you. I won't give you the same advantage."

Aaralyn's only response was a steely glare.

The brute made a flurry of dizzying attacks, putting Aaralyn on the defensive, frantically trying to keep up, and barely dodging his blows. The last strike caught her, the dull side of the blade sweeping her feet out from under her, causing her to vanish beneath the surface of the opaque water. Goro thrust his hand into the water where she had fallen. He intended to hold her under for a full minute, to take the fight out of her, but his hand touched only the bottom of the spring. He chuckled, despite himself. She was a slippery one.

He stood slowly, looking around for any sign of her. He heard a slight noise from behind her. Within a split second, he had turned and charged, but stopped short as he felt something tighten painfully around his neck, choking off his air supply.

Aaralyn's long braid was wrapped around his throat, tightening by the second. He tried frantically to grab her, and pull her off, but she kept out of his reach. Pure primal fear had begun to claw at the back of his mind. He couldn't reach her. He couldn't see her. He couldn't breathe. Ugly black spots were beginning to appear at the edges of his vision, and he was couldn't make his body obey him. He willed himself not to panic. If he panicked then he was finished. He wouldn't lose to her. He couldn't lose to her. He couldn't lose! Despite his attempts to gather his wits, he could feel them slipping away. The fear consumed all rational thought as panic gripped him, compelling him to drop his sword and claw at the thing which obstructed his windpipe.

Kagome suddenly burst into the clearing. Her school uniform was in tatters, and blood dripped from the ugly welts and scratches that covered her skin. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion as she looked in disbelief at the hot spring. She collapsed onto the ground just as a weasely looking man emerged from the trees behind Kagome, chuckling at her distress.

"Kagome!" Aaralyn shrieked. She was alarmed and frightened by Kagome's appearance.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a large hairy hand wrap around her arm. Her distraction had given him an opportunity for escape, and it looked as though he intended to make the most of it.

With a feral growl, he yanked Aaralyn out from behind him, nearly dislocating her shoulder in the process. Coughing and gagging as he struggled to breathe, the incensed man gripped Aaralyn's throat, strangling her as he slowly unwound the braid from his throat with his free hand.

"How do you like it, bitch!" he growled at her as she began to turn blue. He released Aaralyn's throat and lifted her to his eye level by her braid and backhanded her across the face fiercely. There was no pity in his eyes as she gasped for air.

Aaralyn was struggling to stay conscious. It felt as though her brains were rattling in the aftermath of the blow. She was half surprised he hadn't broken her neck.

"Took you long enough." The young lord whined, "Bring her to me. You two can share the other one."

"No," he snarled, "I'll wait my turn for this one." His eyes promised her pain and humiliation unlike any she'd ever experienced.

Through the fog of pain Aaralyn heard Kagome begin to whimper, and turned to see shrinking away the man advancing on her. "Kagome! Don't you touch her!" Aaralyn shouted, earning a crushing blow to her ribs for her efforts.

The man ignored Aaralyn's angry shouts and towered over Kagome, cruel amusement written in his eyes.

Aaralyn began to see red, "God damn you! May you die roaring and fester in your grave! Let me go!" She twisted and drove her elbow into the brute's twisted nose, crushing the cartilage. Howling in surprise, he dropped Aaralyn, who grasped the knife she had dropped earlier and dashed with inhuman speed towards Kagome and her tormentor.

She charged blindly, not noticing the expression of mixed fear and amazement that grew on the weasely man's face any more than she noticed the air becoming colder, sharper, and more difficult to breathe. Aaralyn's eyes glowed an icy white with silver veins throughout. Her aura had grown so powerful that even their assailants could see it burning angrily around her. The onsen itself shivered as an eldritch power hummed throughout the clearing, bullying the air surrounding Aaralyn into a most unnatural form. Kagome gasped as she watched the air currents meld together, the steam of the onsen shifting around the screaming falcon that had taken shape. The translucent beast moved like quicksilver, shadowing Aaralyn as she sped towards them brandishing the weapon.

She slit Suoh's throat before he could even scream, but before his body could even crumple to the ground, WHAM!  
A rock the size of a child's fist collided with the side of Aaralyn's temple, knocking her down. The tempestuous beast disappeared at that moment, dispersing harmlessly with no sound, the air becoming suddenly unnervingly still.

"Little bitch." The scarred man growled, dropping the second rock he had picked up, just in case the first one didn't work. He began to trudge over to where Aaralyn lay, struggling to get up.

Kagome gasped, her aura exploding silvery orchid. There were two jewel shards heading towards them at an unbelievable speed. She stretched out until she felt the familiar youki scrape against her senses and began to weep with relief. Thank the gods…

A splashing noise caught her attention and she looked up. Horrified, she saw that the scarred man had taken Aaralyn back over to the onsen and was holding her head under water. She was flailing wildly and clawing at the giant's hands as she struggled to escape.

"No!" Kagome shouted, "Leave her alone!"

The man turned slowly towards the frantic miko, a cruel smile on his swollen, bloody face. He pulled Aaralyn out of the water suspending her by her neck as she coughed and gasped for air. In the blink of an eye he was looming over Kagome. The large man reached down and dragged Kagome into the air by her hair. Kagome gritted her teeth as tears sprang to her eyes. She refused to scream. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

"Kagome!" Aaralyn rasped out before the brute tightened his grip on her throat, choking off her air supply. He turned his dark eyes on the red haired seer in his grasp.

"I may have to wait my turn for you," he growled at Aaralyn as he dropped her unceremoniously on the ground, "but your little friend will keep me company while I wait!"

He grasped the front of Kagome's blouse with his large hand and ripped it open from collar to hem, then threw her forcefully to the ground and began to tear her skirt.

Kagome's head was swimming, and the wind was knocked out of her. Her mind was screaming frantically. No! Not now! Just a little bit longer!

"**You ningen SCUM**!" a furious voice cried from the direction of the forest.

Before anyone had time to think, a whirlwind sped out from the trees, shredding the young lord to bleeding ribbons as it passed him. The whirlwind dissipated, revealing Kaouga, a blue eyed wolf demon. He wore black and silver armor that was accented by brown fur. Instead of pants or a haori like Inuyasha's the demon wore a loin cloth of fur, his tail swaying regally behind him.

His livid gaze fell on Goro. "I knew I smelled Kagome's blood! How DARE you raise your hand against my woman!" he shouted, his eyes glowing red. A well-aimed, jewel-shard charged kick snapped his neck, and flung him to the opposite side of the spring.

Kouga turned back to Kagome, fully intent on scooping her up in his arms and taking her back with him to his den; _**Their**__den as soon as she figures out what's good for her and quits hangin' around with that dog shit Inuyasha._

He was surprised to see an uncommonly tall young woman standing between him and his woman menacing him with a large dagger. She wore Inuyasha's haori, so he figured she must've been with dog shit and their group, but her smell was… off.

Kouga frowned, stepping closer to get a better scent, but she growled at him when he moved.

"Stay where you are," Aaralyn warned. Her voice steady and authoritative, her steely eyes assessed him carefully, searching for any openings in his stance.

Kouga smirked in amusement at her boldness as he considered the woman in front of him. Her aura was spinning wildly around her; pain, anger, and fear, but he could barely smell them. Those emotions were usually the strongest; his clan could pick them up for miles. She smelled almost like a human with spiritual powers; the smell of one of the elements usually surrounded them, but this girl smelled like all of the elements and then some. This girl smelled powerful. Humans didn't smell like that. What the hell was she?

He took another look at the girl. She was in much worse shape than Kagome. One side of her face was swelling, there was a visible lump on the back of her temple, and she was covered from head to toe with ugly purpling bruises. His eyes turned to Matsu and Suoh's lifeless bodies, and the wounds on Goro's remains. She had fought to protect Kagome; she'd even killed to keep her safe. Why? Why did the red head take the beating when dog shit Inuyasha should have been there keeping Kagome safe? He would kill that mutt! If he'd shown up just a few minutes later, Kagome would've been…

He growled deep in his throat at the thought.

Aaralyn interpreted his growl as a sign of aggression and shifted into a defensive stance.

"Relax," Kouga said with his usual air of confidence, "My woman has nothing to fear from me,"

"Aaralyn, it's okay," Kagome interjected weakly, "He's a friend."

Aaralyn let out a deep breath of relief and collapsed into a seated position beside the young miko, grateful that she wouldn't have to fight this new youkai. She could feel the shikon jewel fragments infusing him with power. He must have had them for a long time; their energy was so in tune with his youki that they were almost indistinguishable at this range.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Aaralyn asked, frowning at the numerous cuts and lacerations that covered the young miko.

Kagome nodded, pushing herself up to a seated position, "Thanks to you."

"Don't thank me yet," Aaralyn growled, regaining a shade of her piss and vinegar, "I'm still gonna kick your ass for not running when I told you!"

oOo

The darkness stirs. He cannot rest; it has returned. He thought he'd felt it years before, but it was too weak to be a threat. Now that same pulse of power has returned. The blood of his enemy has stirred.

"Kanaye," he calls, his voice reverberating softly.

Instantly he appears. His crimson hair is tipped with black, and as always his smile is just a little too wide.

He kneels before his master, lowering his sharp yellow eyes to the floor.

His master's oily voice washed over him "You felt it." It was not a question.

"Yes," Kanaye replied.

"Find it."

"Yes."

((A/N: Ooh! What's going on there? Long chapter. Don't get used to it; I just decided that a short chapter with a cliffhanger would be too evil. Read and Review!))

Onsen: Hot spring


	4. Resolve

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Dawn swept over the horizon, bathing the world in a rosy glow, bringing with it a rushing breeze that rippled through the lush grass before tussling a mane of ebony and silver hair. Midnight hair was dissolving rapidly into white, and silver dog ears shifted and twitched atop the head of their hanyou, who stood stretching out his muscles even as he felt them knit back together from the previous night's abuse. The night of the new moon was over and not nearly soon enough in his opinion. He hated his human night. He was so weak and vulnerable; he could hardly see or smell or hear anything without his demon blood.

Reveling in his newly restored superhuman senses, he breathed in a great draught of air through his nostrils and suddenly froze.

Kagome's blood!

Whipping around he quickly surveyed the camp site with his golden eyes. Shippo was still asleep, curled up next to Kirara. Miroku was asleep…well; maybe _unconscious_ would be more accurate judging by the suspiciously large lump on the back of his head. Sango was awake, albeit barely, but Kagome was nowhere to be found. Not good… He took another sniff in that direction and growled. It was that damn wolf!

"Kouga!" he snarled, amber eyes flashing in the sun light.

Sango's weary eyes widened in surprise. Kouga was coming? But wouldn't he smell that Kagome wasn't there? Wouldn't he have followed her to the onsen? Why would he be coming to the camp? A chill ran down her spine. Something was wrong. Kagome and Aaralyn had been gone too long.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked, "What's happening?"

"I smell Kagome's blood! Where is she?" he growled, rounding on the taijiya, "Why isn't she here?" he demanded.

Sango flinched mentally at Inuyasha's tone, but showed nothing. After all, she was a trained demon slayer. Instead she squared her shoulders, "This isn't the time for this! Did something happen to Kagome?" she demanded. Her tone brooked no argument.

"I don't know," Inuyasha growled, his amber eyes flashing angrily, "But I smell her blood," he paused and scented the air again, "And Aaralyn's, and the blood of four men I never smelled before," he gnashed his pearly fangs together and growled, "and Kouga," he ground out.

Sango's dark brows knitted together as she stared in the direction of the onsen, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth out of concern for her friend.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Kouga's youki crashed into her senses. He burst into the clearing, uprooting trees in its wake. He carried a semi-conscious Kagome gently in his arms, and Aaralyn was perched on his back, which would have been a comical sight under different circumstances seeing how Aaralyn towered conspicuously over him.

Sango's heart leapt into her throat when she saw the fire in Kouga's eyes. He was livid. There was only one thing that she knew of that could make him that angry, and that was a threat to "his woman."

'…four men I never smelled before…'

The taijiya's chocolate eyes darkened as her imagination began to fill in the details. Her dread hardened into fury when she caught sight of Kagome's torn and bloodied clothes and tear stained face. Those men had better PRAY that Kouga cut them into shreds too small for her to find! She gave Inuyasha a surreptitious once-over and knew that he had jumped to the same conclusion.

The ookami prince came to a stop a few feet in front of them, allowing Aaralyn to step down off his back. The disgust and reproach in his aura redoubled as he looked at Inuyasha, rage blazing in his blue eyes.

"Good morning, dog shit!" Kouga snarled sarcastically, "Where the hell have you been? Kagome needed your help!" he shouted.

Inuyasha only growled in response, his amber eyes narrowing dangerously.

"That's it? You're just gonna stand there?" he spat, "Is that where you stood there while Kagome was being attacked? Do you have any idea what those men woulda done to her if I'd showed up just one minute later?" he screamed, his face turning red as he shouted.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, his fears confirmed. His eyes scoured Kagome's body, taking in every scrape, every bruise. His youkai blood demanded revenge; every drop of blood in her attackers' bodies would be forfeit to pay for Kagome's injuries.

"I told you to protect my woman when I'm gone, you goddamn mutt!" Kouga raged, "When I showed up some asshole was tearing her clothes off her!

"What?" Inuyasha exploded, seeing red as he tried to wrap his head around it. How could this have happened? How could he have let this happen? Kagome…

"Whaddya mean, what?" Kouga shouted back, "Is that fucking half breed nose of yours that worthless? Even you should have been able to fend off four goddamn humans! Hell, one of 'em wasn't even a fighter, and she killed two **armed men**!" he snarled, jerking a thumb at Aaralyn, "She got her ass kicked and almost got fucking gang raped trying to protect Kagome while you stood here with your thumb up your ass!"

"I did NOT get my ass kicked," Aaralyn ground out. Inuyasha turned his eyes to the red head for the first time, wincing internally at her battered appearance. As much as he hated to agree with Kouga about anything, Aaralyn sure looked like she'd been on the receiving end of an ass kicking. The whole right side of her face was swollen painfully; her eye was black. There was a large lump on her left temple that had broken open from the swelling, the blood trickling in slowly drying trails down her face. She was bruised from head to toe, she was favoring her left ankle, and by the look of her breathing she was probably sporting a few bruised or broken ribs as well. Most noticeable, though, was the large bruise on her throat…the one shaped like a human hand. Aaralyn straightened under Inuyasha's scrutiny, refusing to appear weak. She didn't need his pity. She didn't need any of their pity. Sango had been staring at her incredulously ever since Kouga had told them that she'd killed. All of the shouting had roused Shippo, Miroku, and Kirara, all of whom were now gaping unabashedly at the scene unfolding before them, their mouths hanging open in shock as they assessed Aaralyn and Kagome's injuries and pieced together what happened from Kouga's expletive-heavy exclamations.

Kouga was shaking with rage, ""It should have been YOU protecting Kagome, Inuyasha!" he roared, "It should have been YOU putting your life on the line! If you don't have the strength to protect my woman, then she should be with someone who can!"

Inuyasha felt as though he'd been slapped across the face. That damn wolf was right. It should've been him.

Kagome began to stir in Kouga's arms.

"Kouga kun," she said weakly, "Don't say things like that." Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, but Inuyasha heard it.

Kouga's frown deepened as he replied,

"Kagome, you deserve someone stronger than him. I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you as long as I live." His voice was filled with concern, and his eyes sparkled with hope. Maybe this time she'd see reason. Maybe she'd forget that weak half breed and come with him, and then she'd always be by his side. She'd help him hunt down the jewel shards and strengthen his pack with their power.

Kagome looked straight up into his keen wolf eyes and slowly shook her head.

"Thank you for saving me, Kouga kun," she replied softly, "but my place is here," she replied softly.

The hope in his eyes died as he heard her words, but he put on a brave face. He knew it was useless to argue with her. She was every bit as stubborn as she was loyal. It was just one of the reasons why he loved her. He gently set Kagome down.

"You're always welcome in my den, Kagome, should you change your mind" he said, his brash, casual demeanor returning.

He turned to Inuyasha with a scowl.

"Oi, Dog shit!" he growled, "Next time Kagome gets a scratch on her you answer to me!" His blue eyes glinted fiercely in the early morning light. He meant it. If he ever smelled Kagome's blood again, he would hold Inuyasha personally responsible.

Turning to the battered red head beside him, he bowed casually, but respectfully, surprising the group.

"Thank you for protecting my Kagome," he said, "We ookami repay our debts."

Without another word, the youkai sped off towards the east, a tornado of youki kicking up clumps of dirt and leaving everyone a little dazed by his hasty departure.

oOo

Naraku smiled wickedly as he watched the retreat of the ookami prince from the comfort of his stolen palace. Malice glittered in his crimson eyes as he plotted.

oOo

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see the underside of a thatched roof. She sat up and quickly scanned the room, letting out a sigh of relief as she recognized it; she was in Kaede's hut. They were back in the village. But when did she get there? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on Inuyasha's back…

She never got to finish her thought, however, as that very same hanyou hovered into view, his face etched with concern. He stooped down next to Kagome and pressed his face close to hers, his nose twitching slightly as he scented her.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" he asked, silver brows creasing over amber eyes.

Kagome frowned. Of course she was alright. Why wouldn't she…?

That's when it came flooding back to her. Oh, kami! She remembered it all.

Kagome swallowed thickly as she shoved down the unpleasant memories, "Yes, Inuyasha, I'm… fine." Or at least she _would_ be.

Inuyasha frowned. She was _not_ fine; his nose told him so. The scent of fear stung his nose as he watched her suppress a shudder.

Unsure of what to say and VERY uncomfortable, Inuyasha fell back on his old standby; anger.

"If you're fine then maybe you can tell me what the hell you were thinking going off alone like that!" he snarled, "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

Kagome glared at the hanyou. She was _not_ in the mood for this!

"_No_, Inuyasha," she drawled, her voice tone dripping with sarcasm, "I don't know _what_ you're talkingabout. _I_ thought those _nice men_ came to invite us to a _tea party_!" Her smoky blue eyes glinted angrily in the low light.

Inuyasha glared back, refusing to back down. He still didn't really get this 'sarcasm' thing, it confused the hell out of him most of the time, but he had to make her understand.

"I mean it, Kagome!" he growled, "You scared the shit out of me!"

Kagome jerked forward, her face inches from the incensed hanyou, "_Yeah_, because _I_ had _nothing_ to be scared of!"

Inuyasha's face reddened, "You had EVERYTHING to be scared of!" he roared, "You should have stayed with Sango and Miroku!"

"You can't pretend I was out there all alone, Inuyasha," she insisted hotly, "Aaralyn was with me, so don't act like I was out looking for trouble!"

"You're a fucking trouble _magnet_!" he shot back, "_It_ goes looking for _you_! And the only reason you're okay is Aaralyn turned out to be worth a damn in a fight!"

Kagome opened her mouth to object, irritated that Inuyasha would say something like that about the woman who protected her, but she never got the chance.

"Oh, I'm worth _well_ more than a damn, dog boy," Aaralyn interjected with a smirk as she slid past the wicker slats that functioned as a door.

Inuyasha growled a little at the use of what seemed to be her new (if somewhat unimaginative) nickname for him, but he couldn't muster any real animosity. This was the woman who had put everything on the line to protect Kagome, and she still had the bruises to prove it. Hell, she was pretty much one 6'4" walking bruise at the moment. What he couldn't believe was how quickly she was healing, especially considering she hadn't slept in two days, not since the night before the new moon. Bruises that had been a deep purple that morning had faded to a sickly yellow green by early evening, the swelling on the side of her head was nearly gone, and she now limped instead of hobbled.

Aaralyn padded past the hesitating hanyou with a playful wink in his direction and knelt next to Kagome.

"So…" she drawled casually, "how goes it?" her silver eyes methodically appraised the miko's injuries and she was relieved that they all looked superficial. She wasn't favoring any particular leg or arm and her breathing was normal. The real question was how well she was handling it mentally.

Kagome swept her eyes over Aaralyn's frame, shocked at the astounding number of injuries she saw. The bruising, the swelling, the bandages wrapped around her left ankle and her ribs…

"I'm fine," Kagome responded shakily, "W-what about you? Aaralyn grinned widely, "I've been worse," she answered, thumbing her nose cockily, "I'm just embarrassed I only managed to take two of 'em down," she admitted.

Kagome's eyes widened as she remembered what Kouga had said.

"So, those two," Kagome gulped, "they died? You killed them?" She couldn't help but feel guilty. Even they were bad men, they were still people.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Leave it to Kagome to feel sorry for those creeps. Aaralyn's expression mirrored his own.

"They wouldn't have given you a second thought," Aaralyn retorted matter-of-factly.

"You can't know that," Kagome protested weakly, not wanting to give ground but knowing that the red head was most likely right.

Aaralyn arched a single vermillion eyebrow, "Can't I?" she asked rhetorically, "I saw it."

Kagome blinked in surprise, "You had a vision?" Well, that _would_ explain that twinge of magick she'd felt just before Aaralyn suddenly insisted that they leave the onsen.

Aaralyn nodded darkly, "If it's any consolation, their passing was relatively painless; downright _gentle_… comparatively speaking."

The young miko swallowed nervously as the words hit their mark. Her imagination kicked in, conjuring mental images which she forcibly shoved out of her mind.

"Thank you," Kagome whispered, "I don't want to think about what would have happened if -,"

"Then don't," Aaralyn interrupted, "Don't waste your energy thinking about those shit-faced ass fuckers!"

Kagome's eyebrows flew up in surprise before settling into a frown. She yelled at Inuyasha whenever he swore, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to scold Aaralyn. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Inuyasha growl from behind her.

"Oi! Watch your mouth!" he griped, looking rather annoyed. Every time he cussed Kagome would osuwari him, so why should Aaralyn get away with it?

His sudden objection to foul language earned him some odd looks from both girls. Kagome's eyebrows were raised in surprise while the twinkle in Aaralyn's silver orbs matched her impish grin.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black, dog boy," Aaralyn teased.

"Pots don't talk, stupid" Inuyasha shot back condescendingly.

Aaralyn only chuckled in response, her mischievous smile doubling in size.

Inuyasha snorted in her direction. He got the impression she was making fun of him again... and it didn't help that Kagome was giggling either.

Aaralyn watched Kagome fondly, "I'm glad you're alright, Kagome," she said, truly relieved that the young miko didn't seem to have been effected too adversely by her experience.

Kagome nodded in Aaralyn's direction, "Thanks to you," she answered, "but can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Aaralyn teased.

"Then here's another," Kagome teased back, "What was with that bird thing?"

Aaralyn blinked, "What bird thing?"

Kagome's eyes widened, "You don't remember? It was in the onsen," seeing that Aaralyn still looked confused, Kagome continued to describe what happened, "Your eyes started glowing and then this huge falcon just appeared out of thin air, she paused for emphasis, "Literally. It was like it was made out of wind. I can't believe you didn't notice it. It was flying right behind you until…well, until that guy hit you with that rock. It had to be you that did it," Kagome insisted.

"Kagome," Aaralyn replied, shaking her head, "If I had the power to do that I would have known about it by now."

Kagome frowned, "I know it sounds crazy, but it _did_ happen," she insisted, "Try to remember."

Aaralyn sighed as she eyed the miko skeptically. Kagome had no reason to lie, after all.

"Alright," Aaralyn conceded, "Give me a minute." The tall girl frowned in concentration as she tried to think back. She remembered she lost control when she saw that slime advancing on Kagome, and she did remember feeling (and ignoring) a powerful yet familiar energy when they were in the onsen, but this news about an elemental creature was just…

That's when she remembered the vision-dream she had a few days earlier:

…_an eldritch power creeps across her senses, increasing slowly until it's almost tangible. It is raw; untrained; wild. The air is becoming very hot. Breathing it in hurts! Her skin feels like it's about to catch fire. Aaralyn follows the billowing energy to its source; her young counterpart. _

'_Wha…?' Aaralyn gasps mentally, 'What's…how is this possible? I don't have that kind of magick…'_

Aaralyn shuddered at the remembrance of the magic she sensed. Was it possible that she did have that kind of magick? Holding that memory in her mind she weighed it against the energy she felt at the onsen, and found that they were akin. That's when another though occurred to her; the giant bird that brought her to Japan… That's why it had felt so familiar! The energy was somehow hers! Thinking back, she tried to re-create that swell of magick. She felt the power build slowly as she sat on the dirt floor of Kaede's hut. Her eyes suddenly grew dark brown with spidery veins of silver woven throughout, and the ground began to shift and squirm by her feet. Looking down, Aaralyn was surprised to see a lump of earth the size of her fist shudder and fall away, revealing a small mouse made of dirt. It quietly groomed itself for a few seconds before turning to face her, intelligence gleaming in his dull eyes. Seeing that, Aaralyn quelled the current of magickal energy, and the diminutive creature ceased to exist, becoming a small pile of earth once again.

The silence was broken by the brash voice of Inuyasha, "What the hell was that!" he demanded.

"Hell if I know," Aaralyn responded, still not taking her eyes off the crumpled mound of dirt in the middle of Kaede's floor, "but whatever it is I need to learn to control it." Her silver eyes were full of determination as she turned them on the astounded miko and hanyou. She opened her mouth to speak when her aura suddenly flared to life and Aaralyn's eyes began to glow brightly.

Her eyelids drooped and she became unresponsive. As suddenly as it began it ended. The glow in Aaralyn's eyes faded and she became aware again. Aaralyn shuddered as she digested the image that her vision had shown her. A pair of eyes was following her, ghosting her every step. The darkness that concealed the form to which the eyes belonged was the same cold and malevolent evil that infected her vision-dream from a few days ago.

"Aaralyn," Kagome yelped, "Are you alright?" Inuyasha had sprung to his feet, his hand on Tetsusaiga's hilts.

"I'm fine," Aaralyn assured them shakily, "Sit down, Inuyasha. It was just a vision alright? Will you sit down already? Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" she shouted at the stubborn hanyou and glared until he finally sat, "As I was saying, I need to master it. It could prove to be a most effective weapon," she mused.

"Like you need one of those," Kagome interrupted, "You're an amazing fighter. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Aaralyn shot her a lopsided smile, grateful for the compliment, "I spent the last six years of my life as the only female aboard a fully staffed vessel that shipped everything from merchant cargo to mercenaries. Self defense was nothing if not mandatory," she explained, "And I had a fantastic teacher. Keiji jii's training saved my ass more times than I care to count... literally. Sailors are just a little too fond of the "back door" if you ask me," she added with a wink.

If someone had entered the hut at that moment, they would have had a difficult time telling whose face was reddest. Kagome and Inuyasha had both flushed a deep scarlet that tinged their skin all the way down their necks until it was obscured by their clothing, and Aaralyn was laughing so hard that her face was almost indistinguishable from her blood-red hair. She thought her comment had been funny, but their reactions to it were simply PRICELESS! They were too shocked to even speak!

"Kagome okaasan," called a shrill, childish voice.

All eyes turned to see Shippo sitting in the window.

"What's so special about a back door?" he asked innocently.

Aaralyn burst into laughter again as Inuyasha and Kagome's faces exploded with fresh color. Poor Shippo just sat there looking confused, his little face scrunched up into a frown. What was so funny? What was Aaralyn neesan laughing at? And why wouldn't anyone answer his question?

As Aaralyn's laughter finally died down she became aware of the sound of a dog barking nearby as well as the cacophony of many children shouting and laughing. Her curiosity piqued, she flashed her Cheshire cat grin at Kagome and Inuyasha one last time and pushed aside the door slat to investigate the disturbance.

Glancing down the street, she quickly identified the source of the commotion: the children of the village were chasing a large addle-pated dog whose fur was so caked with mud that you could not tell its color. Some of the children were pelting the mangy creature with stones, but the dog continued padding along completely unaffected by the small projectiles. He lolled his great, clay-orange colored tongue as he turned laughing hazel eyes on his diminutive pursuers.

As Aaralyn watched the animal recognition dawned in her eyes. No. It couldn't be…could it? Her face began to darken as her heart confirmed what she was seeing. There was no mistake. It WAS him.

She squared her shoulders, and stomped towards the crowd of children and the object of their amusement, her aura snapping and crackling angrily around her.

"YOU ASS-HOLE!" she bellowed as she approached.

To say the children were startled would be a gross understatement. Several of them actually shrieked with surprise while a few nearby mothers clucked their tongues in disapproval of her language. The youngsters parted like the red sea to let her pass as she stomped past them.

"Hello, _Mhadra!_" she ground out.

She towered angrily over the guileless canine, who met her enraged gaze with a happily wagging tail and large soulful eyes.

Oh, don't you DARE give me that look you…you…GRRRAAH!" she screamed, enraged beyond words, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!

By this time Aaralyn had begun to gather quite a crowd. Inuyasha and Kagome had popped out of Kaede's hut to see what all the commotion was about, and were both very puzzled at the her behavior. Sure, Aaralyn had always seemed a little odd and unpredictable to them, but standing in the middle of the street screaming at some dirty mutt was a bit of a stretch even for her. Shippo was perched on Kagome's shoulder, his tiny nose scrunched up in confusion as he asked repeatedly what was going on until Inuyasha grew impatient (which didn't take long, I assure you) and bopped him on the head telling him to shut up. Even Sango and Miroku had appeared. The amorous monk was carrying a parcel under one arm and, with his cursed hand, was gently caressing a hand shaped welt on his cheek. Sango stood beside him looking ruffled.

Aaralyn, either completely unaware or utterly uncaring of the spectacle she was making of herself, continued to shout.

"Why didn't you say something?" she shrieked, "I was worried about you!"

The dog offered only a great, cavernous yawn in reply.

Aaralyn growled ferociously as she glared daggers down at the flea bitten mongrel before her.

"Téigh trasna ort féin, ca car oineachand!" she shouted, spittle flying.

That got the animal's attention. With a vicious snarl bits and pieces of its body crumbled into dirt and fell to the ground, and the beast before them immediately ceased to look anything like a dog.

"You'll mind your language when you speak to me, young lady!" rumbled a deep voice. A short, grubby little man stood atop the mound of dirt that was once a large dog. His barrel chest was puffed out and his muddy green eyes reflected his annoyance. He couldn't have been a full five feet tall, but what he lacked in height he made up for in width: his broad shoulders bulged with muscle that stretched down his sinuous arms. Every inch of his skin was smeared with mud and dirt, even his hair and beard were coated with it; caked so thickly you could never quite tell what color his hair was supposed to be (but Aaralyn would have bet her life on it being brown).

"How COULD you, Keiji jii? I thought you were dead!" Aaralyn screamed, "You **never** saw fit to TELL ME you were a** goddamn** EARTH SPRITE?"

With that she flew at the little man and aimed a punch at his bearded face, but it never hit. The elderly sprite easily dodged the blow, and used Aaralyn's own momentum to fling her several yards away. The stubborn red head flipped to her feet and charged again.

"How many times have I told you," the old man clucked, deftly dodging blow after blow, "to control your temper, little one?"

Aaralyn simply snarled and continued her assault, much to the sprite's annoyance. With a sigh he deflected another blow and effortlessly put her in an arm lock.

"And when did this happen?" he asked, gesturing to her still swollen injuries, "Have you forgotten so quickly everything that I have taught you?" he chided with a frown.

In one smooth, lightening fast movement the grubby little man released the seething red head and punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and flinging her backwards. Aaralyn landed a few feet away and struggled to her feet, cradling her belly and choking down the rattling gasps which attempted to shake her frame. Without warning the fury in her eyes was snuffed out, leaving in its place a poker face; a battle mask. Her aura, which had been so violent before, seemed to cool and became unreadable. The tall girl took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she slipped into a fighting stance.

The old earth sprite coolly assessed read head opposite him and grunted his approval.

"Better," he said with a nod as he shifted into a stance of his own.

Without another word the aged being launched himself at Aaralyn, who ran forward to meet his advance. This time there were no curses, taunts, or admonitions, only a display of skills that few in the village had ever seen or would ever see again. Those nearby could only stand and watch in silence. Both Aaralyn and the earth sprite attacked relentlessly, refusing to give ground. Aaralyn landed many blows this time, but they seemed to have little, if any, effect on the earth sprite. She wished that his strikes were as easy to shrug off. He was intentionally aiming for her injuries. He would probably say that to avoid her injuries would do her a disservice, as no enemies would be so considerate, but Aaralyn was sure he was punishing her. She had drawn quite a bit of attention to herself just now; something which he had warned her against countless times. Unfortunately for Aaralyn, her anger began to get the better of her once again, and her wavering concentration gave Keiji the opportunity to deliver a crushing palm-heel strike to her already battered ribs.

She cried out as she flew backward and landed on the hard ground. Struggling for breath, she attempted to stand again. Her body screamed in pain and wanted desperately to stay on the ground and not move, but her body was not in control; she was. She forced herself into a stance, all traces of her pain disappearing behind an unreadable expression, and prepared for another charge. It was then that she noticed that something, or rather someone, was in the way. Inuyasha stood between her and Keiji.

"That's enough, old man," he growled, scenting the earth sprite curiously. He had never smelled a being like him before. He smelled like… dirt, like a patch of ground that had spent countless afternoons baking in the sun. There was no scent of flesh or blood, only earth. It was so strong it was almost overwhelming to his sensitive nose.

Keiji jii crossed his trunk-like arms over his broad barrel chest as he regarded the inu hanyou. After several seconds he nodded slowly. His point had been made, and he surely reminded Aaralyn who was the pupil and who was the master. His hazel eyes turned towards his wayward pupil once again. She had steadied her breathing and was standing proudly, an annoyed expression on her face as she glared at Inuyasha's back.

"I don't need to be rescued, Inuyasha," the red head ground out, irritated that she looked so weak in front of Keiji jii, but understanding why the hanyou felt he needed to step in, "We were sparring," she explained.

Inuyasha shot an annoyed glance over his shoulder at the stubborn girl, "You were gettin' your ass handed to you," he spat, "And fighting injured won't teach you nothin' anyway!"

"You obviously haven't known Aaralyn as long as I have," Keiji chuckled gently, "The harder the lesson is on her the harder it is for her to forget. Besides, you learn more from a loss than a win; pride is an obstacle you build for yourself."

"Then you'll never learn _anything_ new, Keiji jii!" Aaralyn huffed, pointedly brushing the dirt from her...*ahem* _Inuyasha's_ clothes, "You haven't lost a fight in six years."

The old sprite cocked a scraggly brow at his pupil, "One_ hundred_ and twelve, actually," he retorted.

Aaralyn ignored him and continued to smooth her unruly hair.

Inuyasha growled suddenly. His neck was prickling with so many eyes on him; the crowd had still not dispersed, "Why the hell are you still here?" he shouted at them, "Get lost! All a ya!"

Miroku cleared his throat and stepped forward, "Perhaps it would be best to continue this meeting in a more private location," he said, gesturing towards Kaede's hut.

Aaralyn nodded silently and began to walk back to the hut, an obvious limp in her gait.

Keiji frowned as he watched her hobble away, "Who injured you?" he asked her, the annoyance in his voice not quite masking his concern.

Aaralyn paused and bit back the smart-mouth answer on the tip of her tongue, "Four men, three of them skilled martial artists," she answered solemnly as she held aside the door slat for everyone to pass, "They found us bathing and we were outmatched."

"Us?" the wizened sprite asked as he strode into the hut.

"That's right," Kagome interjected before Aaralyn could respond, "She protected me."

Keiji nodded in acknowledgement as he settled on the dirt floor of the hut. His eyes scanned Kagome's form, assessing her injuries, and he was pleased to see that she possessed only a few scratches and the odd shallow bruise. Perhaps his pupil hadn't done as poorly as he'd suspected.

A wry grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered some of the maxims he'd passed down to her through the years; "control your temper and you control the battle," "don't be too quick to judge. A situation could be very different than it appears..." After all these centuries he thought he'd be better at taking his own advice. Here he was jumping to conclusions and letting his anger dictate his reactions while his tempestuous student was displaying nobility. Fitting behavior for one of her bloodline…

"Ah, Aaralyn san," Miroku said suddenly, gesturing with the parcel in his arms, "As promised, I have procured some new garments for you."

Aaralyn eyed the monk and the parcel suspiciously. If the clothing he purchased was inappropriate or immodest she would have to wait to punish him for it or she would risk upsetting Keiji jii again. She took the package and bowed politely before excusing herself to change.

Keiji closed his eyes and sighed contentedly as he allowed himself to partially sink into the earth beneath him. He'd been fortunate to find Aaralyn so quickly. The earth hummed with murmurs and whispers; rumors of strange and unsettling occurrences and unnatural disturbances. The enemy was on the move again.

"Keiji san?" Kagome asked, interrupting his thoughts, "May I ask you something?"

"You just did, little one," the wizened sprite responded with a wink, "And there's no need for honorifics."

Kagome blinked, "Uh, okay, Keiji," she said as she recovered from the surprise. At least now she knew where Aaralyn got her odd sense of humor, "Aaralyn told me that you're the one who taught her how to fight."

Unsure where she was going with this, Keiji nodded slowly, "Yes, I did," he replied.

"Do you think you could teach me how to defend myself?" Kagome asked. Her tone was very serious as she set her determined gray-blue eyes on the diminutive sprite.

Inuyasha was shocked. What was Kagome thinking? She didn't need to learn that stuff! It was his job to protect her! Besides, Kagome saw how rough he was on Aaralyn. Did she really expect him to stand around and watch some earth spirit beat her up?

"Hell no!" Inuyasha exploded, "That old fart ain't teachin' you nothin'!"

Keiji slowly turned towards Inuyasha, "I believe that her question was directed at me, young one, not at you," he stated calmly but firmly.

Inuyasha was dumbfounded. Under those eyes he felt like a pup that'd challenged the alpha and been reprimanded. He opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn't find the words, so he laid his ears down contritely and said nothing, much to surprise of everyone (except Keiji).

Confident that the hanyou wouldn't interrupt again, Keiji locked his muddy hazel eyes on Kagome, "My training isn't gentle, little one," he cautioned her.

"I'm aware of that Keiji jii," Kagome answered.

Soft footsteps announced Aaralyn's return, "After that skirmish we had outside she'd have to be a dunce not to understand, Keiji jii," she quipped as she used one of Kagome's hair elastics to tie off her long blood-red French braid, "and a dunce she is not."

Aaralyn stood in the doorway cutting a very striking figure in the new clothes that Miroku had purchased for her. The top was form-fitting to the hips where it divided into two knee-length panels, one in the front and one in back. The smooth crimson material gleamed dully in the late morning light, and bright silver trim glinted against the fabric where it traced the wide slits which arced above Aaralyn's hips on either side. The mandarin collar was fastened with silver clasps that were commonly seen on shirts imported from China, but the conventional cap sleeves were absent; leaving her shoulders bare. Silver thread trailed intricate embroidery from hem to collar front and back. A five-toed dragon rose from waves of churning water and roared fiercely from Aaralyn's chest, its knotted silver eyes shimmering with fury. Across her back a phoenix sailed gracefully atop a pillar of flame, proudly showcasing its breathtaking plumage, each feather ablaze. She wore a pair of very comfortable looking pants underneath. They were lily white and the legs were quite loose, draping from the waistband and then cinching in with drawstrings at the ankles. On her feet she wore a pair of red kung fu shoes which required no lacing. The material was the same glossy red as the top she wore, and silver thread wove a single gleaming lotus blossom on the top of each slipper.

"Wow!" Kagome exclaimed, "Aaralyn, you look great!"

Aaralyn blushed, something which the group hadn't seen very often, "Thank you," she replied with a grin.

She made her way towards the still-quiet hanyou and handed him his haori jacket, "And thank you," she said before handing the green skirt to Sango, "And you," she said to the taijiya. Then she turned towards Miroku and bowed casually, "And you. No one has ever guessed my size so accurately."

"No trouble at all," Miroku answered smoothly, grasping one of her large hands in both of his, "The opportunity to be of service to a beautiful woman such as you is its own reward. Perhaps now that I have repaid my debt you will reconsider your answer to my question; would you consider bearing my…"

THUNK! Hiraikotsu knocked noisily against the monk's thick skull.

"Ah, what I mean to say is, you're welcome Aaralyn san," Miroku corrected himself.

"Perverted monk," Sango grumbled.

Aaralyn grinned widely at Miroku's persistence. He would do well to stop chasing others and focus on that taijiya; it was obvious that they had feelings for each other.

Abandoning that train of thought she settled on the mat next to Kagome, "So what do you say, Keiji jii?" she asked, throwing an arm over the miko, "She'd make such a cute kohai."

Keiji considered Kagome carefully and silently for a few moments and then nodded his head, "I will teach you," he said with a smile.

"Arigato, Keiji. I will do my best." Kagome said with a casual bow.

Aaralyn smiled, but inside she sighed. Kagome had NO idea what she was in for. She just hoped the young miko hadn't bitten off more than she could chew. That's when Aaralyn noticed that Keiji's muddy hazel eyes were still very serious. They were not finished here.

"You will also require new training, Aaralyn," the sprite began, "I understand you have discovered your other abilities."

Aaralyn blinked in surprise, "You knew." It was not a question, "How? I only learned about them a few minutes ago."

Miroku, Sango and Shippo were busy giving her and one another questioning looks as they had not witnessed her experiment earlier.

Keiji smiled warmly, "Which element did you access last, little one?"

Rather than answer his rhetorical question, Aaralyn nodded to show her understanding. He had felt her use her energy on the earth. That would explain how he found her so quickly after she summoned that mouse.

"_Little_ one?" Shippo echoed incredulously, "She's **way** taller than you!" he squeaked, looking back and forth between Aaralyn and Keiji.

Aaralyn, once again charmed by the kit's antics, swept him up in a crushing hug, "By 'little' he means 'young', Shippo chan," she explained as she giggled at his exaggerated and dramatic attempts to breathe, "If you had a younger brother who grew taller than you he'd still be your little brother, after all."

"Aaralyn san," Miroku interrupted, taking a step forward, "what are these new abilities?"

The red head sat and allowed Shippo to scamper off before answering, "To be honest, Miroku san, I know very little about them at this time. Perhaps Keiji jii can explain it better?" she suggested, her eyes flitting to her mentor.

"I certainly can," Keiji answered, digging a little deeper into the earth, "But to explain it properly I will need to go back to the beginning; to your father, little one."

Aaralyn stiffened instantly but she did not interrupt.

"He is a powerful Aes Sidhe of Otherworld," Keiji continued, "The crowned prince of the realm."

"What's a Aes Sidhe?" Shippo blurted.

"Shippo, don't interrupt," Kagome scolded.

Keiji smiled indulgently, "The Aes Sidhe are the spirits of nature," he explained, "They live in Otherworld along with the gods and spirits," he returned his gaze to Aaralyn, "One year on the Samhain, when the way between this world and the other is passable, he wandered through and he met your mother. They fell in love and he married her, returning to her year after year."

Aaralyn had pulled her aura closer, making it even harder to read. Her posture was rigid and her eyes were hard, but she did not interrupt.

"I am a retainer of your father's family," Keiji continued, his eyes growing sad at his pupil's reticence, "and it was no secret that I preferred the Ningenkai to Otherworld. He assigned me to keep an eye on your mother while he was away. Her parents were very unhappy that she had chosen not to marry, but when she conceived they threw her out of their home and the village. I guided her to the village where you grew up. Your mother carried you for a full year. Your father was present at your birth, Aaralyn."

WHAM!

Everyone jumped at the noise. Aaralyn had struck the hard-packed earth floor hard enough to further compress and crack it

"Enough!" Aaralyn hissed.

"Aaralyn," Keiji began, "you must understand."

"Understand _what_, Keiji jii?" Aaralyn spat, "What good is being there for my birth if he missed my entire life? What good was his love for my mother if he couldn't be bothered to save her?" Her eyes were hard as steel and cold as ice, "I don't want to hear anymore about him!"

Keiji sighed. There was no talking to her when she was like this. Maybe someday she would listen to him, but until then he would help her in any way he could.

"As you wish, little one," Keiji conceded, "Each Aes Sidhe has an affinity to one element while humans are multi-faceted beings. Being a combination of the two grants you kinship with all of the elements."

Aaralyn began to calm down once she saw that he wasn't going to push the issue. However, there was one thing that was still bothering her; she was feeling guilty for hating her own father. Squelching that emotion with the brutal swiftness of an arachnaphobe squishing a spider, she trained her attention on Keiji and what he was saying.

Seeing he's gained her undivided attention, Keiji continued, "The bloodline magicks you inherited from your human ancestors has mixed with the gifts of the Aes Sidhe, allowing you to access all of the elements at will. Already you've successfully tapped into earth, air and aether."

Aaralyn's brows shot up at that, "Aether? How does that fit in? Earth, fire, water and air, those are the elements," she protested.

"Aether is the fifth element," Keiji insisted, "And St. Elmo's fire is aether. You summoned the albatross that brought you here."

Aaralyn silently nodded her understanding.

Keiji looked over his solemn eyed student and sighed heavily, "I have something very important to tell you, little one. You must master your powers as soon as possible. You are in great danger. I tried to keep you close to prevent you from having to use these abilities," he said wearily, "but I failed."

Wariness crept into Aaralyn's eyes, "What do you mean Keiji jii? What's happened?"

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger guys, you'll just have to wait. I'll work it into flashbacks in the next chapter

Ookami: Wolf/wolves

Okaasan: Mother

Téigh trasna ort féin, cac ar oineachand: Translated as "fuck your own ass, you scoundrel (scoundrel is not quite accurate. Literally translated it means "shit on honor")!"

Kohai: An underclassman; someone who is the lesser student.

Aes Sidhe: Pronounced: _Ess shee_

Ningenkai: Human world


End file.
